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House committee hears Red Mountain project

BY THE TRI-CITY HERALD
Published: Feb. 8, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. PST — Updated: Feb. 8, 2013 at 7:41 a.m. PST
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A sign on Highway 224 just outside Benton City welcomes visitors to the Red Mountain wine area, one of the state's premium wine grape growing regions. (TRI-CITY HERALD FILE)

The state House Transportation Committee heard about the Red Mountain Transportation Project at a meeting Thursday.

Troy Berglund of the Benton Rural Electric Association and Don Whitehouse, a regional administrator for the state Department of Transportation, presented information about the project during a work session in Olympia.

The project includes building a roundabout at the Benton City exit of Interstate 82 and a new interchange connecting West Richland and the Red Mountain area to the highway.

"One of the key things that separates this project from a lot of others is the economic impact it will have," Berglund said, noting it's estimated to bring

$102 million in annual permanent payroll, $327 million in annual business and worker spending and several thousand jobs.

He noted it has wide support in the Tri-City area.

Whitehouse said about

$27.5 million is needed for both phases.

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