An independent board that advocates for statewide freight-improvement projects has made a soft pledge to contribute up to $5 million toward construction of a new South Park Bridge, according to King County Executive Dow Constantine's office.

The preliminary pledge, which comes from the project selection committee of the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB), will be considered at the Board’s next meeting in September, and if approved, and acted upon during the next state legislative session.

“On behalf of all the stakeholders who have been working tirelessly to obtain funding for this bridge, I want to thank the Freight Mobility Board for its support and for moving us another step closer to the finish line," Constantine said in a statement released today.

The South Park Bridge will take an estimated $130 million to replace. Thus far, $95 million has been pledged:

• King County — $30 million
• State of Washington — $20 million
• City of Seattle — $15 million
• Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) — $15 million
• State Transportation Improvement Board — $10 million
• Port of Seattle — $5 million
• Federal DOT-HUD funding bill - $3 million (pending Congressional approval)
• FMSIB — up to $5 million (pending approval by full board and state legislature)

And the county is a waltz away from submitting its application for a federal TIGER II grant for the balance of the funding. Meanwhile, county road engineers are moving forward with demolition of the 81-year-old bridge, which closed for good on June 30, and starting pre-construction work. Once full funding is secured, the county estimates another three years before a new bridge is in place and operational.