The legislature finds that the department initiated route studies for the location of that segment of the national system of interstate and defense highways (interstate system) between south Bellevue and state route No. 5 in Seattle in 1957 culminating in a corridor public hearing and adoption of a corridor in 1963; that thereafter the department, utilizing a multidisciplinary design team and soliciting the broadest public participation, developed a series of designs culminating in a public design hearing in 1970, a public limited access hearing in 1971, and adoption of a design and limited access plan for the facility in 1971; that commencing in 1970 the proposed facility has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and administrative proceedings that have prevented advancement of the project to construction; that since further development of the project was enjoined by federal courts in 1971 the cost of constructing the project has increased by more than one hundred million dollars; that the traffic congestion and traffic hazards existing in the existing highway corridor between south Bellevue, Mercer Island, and the city of Seattle are no longer tolerable; that after more than seventeen years of studies the public interest now requires that final decisions regarding the appropriate system for meeting the transportation requirements between south Bellevue and the city of Seattle be made promptly and in accordance with a prescribed schedule.
It is therefore the sense of the legislature that further protracted delay in establishing the transportation system to be constructed between south Bellevue and state route No. 5 in the city of Seattle is contrary to the interest of the people of this state and can no longer be tolerated as acceptable public administration. Accordingly the schedule for finally determining the character of transportation modes between south Bellevue and state route No. 5 in the city of Seattle as set forth in RCW 47.20.645 through 47.20.653 and 47.20.900 is adopted as the public policy of this state.
[ 1984 c 7 § 149; 1975 1st ex.s. c 272 § 1.]