Newhouse Announces Major Investment in Central Washington Infrastructure

Press Release

Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the Wenatchee Apple Capital Loop Project in Washington's 4th Congressional District has been awarded $92.4 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation's INFRA Grant Program. This will be the largest INFRA Grant awarded this year nationwide.

"Investment in the Apple Capital Loop project is a major win for Central Washington," said Rep. Newhouse. "I have been advocating for this project over the past several years, and I am proud to see it finally come to fruition. This project will improve safety and create significant new opportunities for economic growth, potentially bringing investments of over $500 million to our region. As the most trade-dependent state in the nation, this project will increase infrastructure connectivity and position our state to continue to grow exports, strengthen our relations abroad, and bring economic prosperity to Washington."

Background:

Rep. Newhouse has sent requests to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation every year for the last five years requesting funding for this important project (previous requests here).
The Apple Capital Loop is the result of years of planning by local, state and regional community partners including the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Yakama Nations. The Apple Capital Loop supports the various layers of Central Washington's economy by bringing together vital, interconnected projects that comprise the backbone of the Wenatchee Valley regional transportation network, and the local component of the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN). The project is broadly supported throughout the community as evidenced by investments of more than $100 million over the past decade though private and public partners. This multi-modal network of projects will yield improved safety, system reliability, and congestion relief coordinated with deployment of a modernized, rapid-charge battery electric commuter transit system with faster speed and increased frequency (one of the first communities with this technology). At completion, the project will allow much-needed investment in housing, retail, and industrial development by bringing additional infrastructure to the area. It will leverage more than $200 million in investments by our agricultural sector in production, storage, and transportation.

Source