Jeff Wagner, mayor of Covington and a representative of the Southeast Area Legislative Transportation Coalition, and Will Aho, assistant chief of Eastside Fire and Rescue, testified that safety and mobility improvements on State Route 18 are urgent and should remain funded as previously committed by the legislature.

Wagner said SR‑18 connects I‑90 and I‑5, serves freight routes to the Port of Tacoma and communities east of the Cascades, and that the legislature has already committed $640,000,000 for safety improvements from Deep Creek to Tiger Mountain Summit. He urged lawmakers to keep the spending on WSDOT’s timeline and warned that delays would be devastating to local communities.

Assistant Chief Aho told the committee responders have seen a 600% increase in fatalities and a 120% increase in overall incidents in the unimproved section over the last five years compared with the nearest divided area. He described the roadway as narrow, low-light and low-visibility and said responder safety and the timeliness of aid are at risk. Both witnesses urged the committee to support WSDOT’s construction timeline for Highway 18 improvements.

Their testimony was entered in the record for committee consideration; no vote was taken at the hearing.