Russ Blount memorial bridge

TO THE HONORABLE ROGER MILLAR, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, AND 1
TO THE WASHINGTON STATE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND TO THE 2
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: 3
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of 4
the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, 5
respectfully represent and petition as follows: 6
WHEREAS, Russell Gilbert Blount was a Public Works Director, 7
Deputy City Manager, and Interim City Manager for the City of Fife 8
for 20 years between 2002 and his untimely passing in 2022; and9
WHEREAS, Russ Blount was a leader on transportation issues in the 10
State of Washington, Pierce County, and the City of Fife in a public 11
service career that spanned over two decades; and 12
WHEREAS, Russ Blount had a passion for the State of Washington, 13
Pierce County, City of Fife, public works, and public transportation 14
infrastructure; and 15
WHEREAS, Russ Blount served on committees for infrastructure 16
projects of statewide and regional significance including the Puget 17
Sound Gateway Project and Sound Transit's Tacoma Dome Link Extension; 18
and 19
WHEREAS, Russ Blount served on the Puget Sound Regional Council's 20
Regional Project Evaluation Committee, where he was vice chair, the 21
Puget Sound Regional Council's Regional Staff Committee, where he was 22
an alternate vice chair, the Pierce County Transportation 23
H-0274.1
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4001
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Fey, Dufault, and Barkis
Read first time 01/16/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 HJM 4001
Coordinating Committee, where he was chair from 2011 to 2022, the 1
Freight Advisory Committee, and the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory 2
Committee; and 3
WHEREAS, Russ Blount provided staff support to elected officials 4
who served on the Puget Sound Regional Council's Executive Board, the 5
Puget Sound Regional Council's Operations Committee, the Puget Sound 6
Regional Council's Transportation Policy Board, the Puget Sound 7
Regional Council's Project Selection Task Force, and the Pierce 8
County Regional Council; and 9
WHEREAS, Russ Blount was instrumental in solving various 10
disagreements, competing desires, funding challenges, and equitable 11
distribution of grant funds, and did so with absolute honesty and 12
integrity; and 13
WHEREAS, Russ Blount advanced major transportation infrastructure 14
projects in the City of Fife that included Pacific Highway East, 70th 15
Avenue East, Valley Avenue East, Wapato Way East; and16
WHEREAS, Russ Blount led a transportation project of statewide 17
significance known as the Interstate 5 and Port of Tacoma Road 18
Interchange, phase one of which was constructed in 2020 and phase two 19
of which is included in the state transportation budget to be 20
constructed starting in 2024; and 21
WHEREAS, The Interstate 5 and Port of Tacoma Road Interchange 22
project would not have happened were it not for Russ Blount's vision, 23
leadership, creativity, and determination; and 24
WHEREAS, Your Memorialists, the City of Fife, the Puyallup Tribe 25
of Indians, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the Port of 26
Tacoma, Pierce County and all the Reginal Access Mobility Partnership 27
(RAMP) partners support naming a feature of said project after Russ 28
Blount; and 29
WHEREAS, Part of the Interstate 5 and Port of Tacoma Road 30
Interchange project includes a new overpass over Interstate 5 at 34th 31
Avenue East in the City of Fife; 32
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the 33
Washington State Transportation Commission commence proceedings to 34
name the future 34th Avenue East overpass in the City of Fife as the 35
Russ Blount Memorial Bridge to honor Russ Blount's vision, 36
leadership, creativity, and determination as a leader on 37
transportation issues in the State of Washington, Pierce County, and 38
the City of Fife in a public service career that spanned over two 39
decades. 40
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BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 1
transmitted to the Honorable Roger Millar, Secretary of 2
Transportation, the Washington State Transportation Commission, and 3
the Washington State Department of Transportation. 4
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