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A state panel has finally selected a preferred option on replacing the floating 520 bridge.
The panel voted 10 to 2 in favor of replacing the existing bridge fromInterstate 5 to Medina with a new six-lane bridge, which would includeone HOV lane in each direction. It would feature a new Montlakeinterchange, similar to the current interchange, with a new basculebridge across the cut. It also would add some improvement to transitconnections, as well as a reversible HOV lane connecting to Interstate5.
The cost will be about $4.6 billion but it will not increase general-purpose lane capacity.
According to this 2008 article in Wired Magazine, the first bridge cost $21 million in 1963, or about $154 million in 2008 dollars. This means officials could build 30 of the existing structures for the same amount they want to spend on its replacement.