Political Quotes

“along the southwest coast of Washington State, Highway 105 runs adjacent to Willapa Bay from Raymond to Aberdeen and provides an alternative route to Highway 101. While this route serves as the only direct access for residents of the Tokeland Peninsula and the Shoalwater Indian Reservation, it also acts as a dike protecting several cranberry bogs, a vital local industry, from saltwater inundation. Unfortunately, the embankment supporting Highway 105 has eroded away under the pressure of the unstable forces in Willapa Bay. Unless something is done, preliminary engineering studies indicate that under existing conditions, the road will be washed into Willapa Bay, sometime within the next 2 years. This timeline would obviously be moved up if any type of storm hits the Washington coast later this winter. Water, telecommunications, and power utilities located within the highway right-of-way would also be severed if the highway is destroyed. If no action is taken to remedy this problem, the estimated loss of public facilities, cranberry bogs, jobs and economic impacts is $82 million, not including additional socioeconomic impacts. An additional $40 million from the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief funds would also be required to relocate a new Highway 105. A more appropriate and financially efficient alternative, in my opinion, would be to correct this problem before it becomes a reality.”