PORT ANGELES — The state’s two-year transportation budget signed last week provides funding for the Deer Park underpass project and the Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry route.
Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the nearly $9 million budget Monday.
The largest amount going to the North Olympic Peninsula is for the Deer Park project, which will receive $3.126 million.
The budget also allocates $100,000 to maintain the reservation system on the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry route when it receives its second ferry in July.
The city of Port Townsend also gets $10,000 for “mitigation expenses” related to the route only having one ferry.
Deer Park underpass
An underpass at the Deer Park Road and U.S. Highway 101 intersection east of Port Angeles will be built by the end of 2012.
Construction will start late this year.
The project is expected to cost about $7 million.
Clallam County is contributing $2 million in real estate excise taxes.
The rest is coming from state and federal governments.
The budget doesn’t specifically list money going to widen Highway 101, but state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kelly Stowe said that funding is secured.
The state will spend $90 million to widen the highway between Shore and Kitchen-Dick roads.
The project is scheduled to begin in summer 2012 and finish in 2014.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.