Buoyed by a successful referendum and voter approval of tolls, contract negotiations are proceeding between the Washington State Department of Transportation and a joint venture firm for the privatized construction of a new $700-million Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Contract progress had been delayed by financial and political issues that largely gutted the 1994 Private Public Transportation Initiative and a voter backlash against tolls. The existing 2,800-ft (853-m) Tacoma Narrows Bridge is currently handling approximately 90,000 vehicles per day, far beyond its designed capacity. The new bridge would be the first major suspension span to be built in the United States in 3 decades.
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