| Work has officially begun on the FAST Corridor project, a $400 million effort aimed at eliminating traffic delays and speeding cargo movement to and from the ports of Tacoma and Seattle. The ambitious plan brings together a consortium of federal, state and local government agencies and two railroads to streamline intermodal access along the Interstate 5 corridor from Everett to Tacoma. Fifteen different projects are planned, including: the raising of Port of Tacoma Road above Washington 509 commuter traffic and railroad tracks that link port terminals with routes to the Midwest; separating road and rail lines near Seattle's Safeco Field; building an overpass at D Street north of the Tacoma Dome and reshaping the railroad mainline; and an expansion of the rail staging yard at Hyundai Merchant Marine's terminal on the Blair Waterway. Paul Chilcote, Port of Tacoma senior director of intermodal transportation, said, ''We view this as a cornerstone project for at least the next decade....[to] assure our present obligations and meet our growth potential.''
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