The Legislature adjourned a few weeks ago, but many of the bills we passed are just now being signed into law by the governor.

Last week the governor signed several important pieces of legislation relating to transportation in our state, and invited me as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee to participate and comment on what these will mean to the people of our state.

On Tuesday I joined the governor in Seattle, where she signed Senate Bill 5768 to clear the way for a deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

I'm very excited that we're moving forward with a safe and reliable replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct in a way that protects taxpayers across the state by limiting the state’s funding obligations on the project.

On Wednesday afternoon, we went to Grays Harbor, where the pontoons for the new 520 floating bridge will be built -- after stopping in Tacoma to enact the 2009-11 Transportation Budget.

The $7.5 billion transportation budget includes $4.7 billion in funding for more than 400 transportation projects across the state that are expect to provide as many as 49,000 jobs.

It was put together in a bipartisan way that reflects the transportation needs and priorities of our entire state and includes funding for highway improvements and safety enhancements that will serve all Washingtonians equally - from north to south and on both sides of the Cascades.

The budget provides for the construction of four new vessels for Washington State Ferries during the 2009-11 and 2011-13 biennia. The first three vessels will be 64-car, Island Home class ferries. The fourth vessel will either be an Island Home class or a 144-car ferry, depending on the timing and availability of funds. The budget begins funding for another ferry in subsequent biennia.