Washington Department of Transport has developed a way to replace the bridge before the end of 2014 - four years earlier than was previously estimated.

An existing Tacoma facility will jump start the building of the new bridge's smaller pontoons in 2009 to help achieve the accelerated timeline. A new facility in Grays Harbor will be up and running by 2010 and will be building the larger pontoons by 2011. "We are going to put more people to work, faster," said Gregoire. "This accelerated plan will work like an economic stimulus package to help create more jobs in Washington and make our roadways safer all at the same time."

Roads elsewhere on the 520 corridor will now be completed two years early. Completion of the entire corridor two years ahead of schedule will save some US$100 million in congestion relief alone.

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