State Highway 20 will see some improvements thanks to a transportation bill approved by the Legislature, which acted last weekend in the final hours of the 2003 regular session.

All three 10th District legislators voted for the bill, which increases the gas tax by 5 cents per gallon. Presently 23 cents, the tax rises to 28 cents July 1. The bill also raised other taxes, adding a 3 percent sales tax on motor vehicles and increasing weight fees for commercial trucks by 15 percent. The tax changes will bring in an estimated $4.2 billion over 10 years.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, described the bill as “a well-balanced package that funds many different transportation improvements besides roads.” Also voting for it were state Reps. Barry Sehlin and Barbara Bailey, Oak Harbor Republicans.

A number of safety improvements are set for Highway 20, a dangerous road that connects the Keystone ferry terminal to Interstate 5 at Burlington.

“Highway 20 is a major thoroughfare for Skagit County, but it’s also important to Island County because it’s the only road off Whidbey Island,” Haugen said.

Here are the Highway 20 highlights:

• $86 million over 10 years for additional lanes, guardrails and lighting.
• $77 million to expand the 2-lane highway to 4-lanes from Fredonia to I- 5 near Burlington, and to redesign the I-5 intersection.
• $2.1 million to add turn lanes in each direction from Ducken Road to Rosario Road, plus guardrail and lights.
• $7 million toward eliminating the intersection at Deception Road and the western intersection with Miller Road, and add turn lanes from Quiet Cove Road to the Highway 20 spur.

The northern reaches of the highway are furthest behind in terms of improvement. Over the past six years, sections of Highway 20 between Coupeville have been widened. Island stretches of the highway still lacking paved shoulders include a large portion of the roadway between the turnoff to the Keystone ferry dock and Coupeville, and the highway as it approaches and enters Deception Pass State Park.

Most of Highway 525, the southern extension of Highway 20, has been widened in recent years. Four signal lights have been added to that part of the highway on South Whidbey.

The state transportation bill also includes funds for Washington State Ferries, including $120 million to make the Mukilteo terminal more accessible to passenger rail lines and buses; $67 million for renovations to the Anacortes terminal; $36 million for catch-up work on the system’s 29 vessels; and $67 million for one new auto ferry in addition to three planned with current revenue.

For area rail fans, $21 million will be spent on the tracks between Seattle and Bellingham to improve Amtrak’s service to Vancouver, B.C.

Gov. Gary Locke has said he will sign the transportation package. The Legislature will reconvene May 12 for a special session to act on a variety of issues, including the 2003-05 budget.