Is a new 520 Bridge Fully Funded?

This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.

It depends on what the definition of the word “is” is.

Mike at CIS relates the story of an impassioned Councilman Reagan Dunn arguing that the bridge is, in fact, fully funded:

King County Councilman Reagan Dunn–who was deeply involved with the RTID portion of Prop 1–took particular umbrage to the accusation that 520 is not fully funded. He insists all the funding sources have been secured, except for the Prop 1 portion and tolls, and it was the only time he got emotional in that hour-long forum.

Comes now the Seattle Times which says yes, as long as you assume that (a) Prop. 1 passes, (b) tolling starts on both I-90 and SR-520, and (c) some federal grants come though.

So yes, there’s a plan to fully fund the bridge. Dunn was right. But it’s still just that, a plan. Without a design and with some of the funding sources still uncertain, the question of whether it is or is not “fully funded” is a matter of interpretation.