OLYMPIA — State Sen. Rodney Tom is spearheading an effort to rename a new I-405 bridge in Kirkland for a construction worker who died after being struck by a drunk driver while working on the highway widening project in 2007.
Kollin Nielson, 30, left behind a wife and a young son. Sen. Tom, D-Bellevue, introduced a measure in the Legislature to name the new 405 bridge over 116th Street after Nielsen but time ran out during this year’s session before it could be brought to a vote. The bridge is a part of the larger I-405 widening project Nielson was working on at the time of the accident.
Tom is now hoping to get the bridge renamed by the state Transportation Commission. As a first step, the Kirkland Transportation Commission met Wednesday to take comment on the proposal.
“I think we should honor the valuable contributions of workers like Kollin who die tragically while on the job,” Tom said. “It highlights the dangers of highway construction and serves as a reminder that we need to slow down a little in work zones.”
“It’s also a reminder that drunk driving kills,” Tom said. “There’s no excuse for drunk driving.”
Wednesday’s meeting was held to fulfill a requirement that ample community support be demonstrated for the proposal. The state Transportation Commission is now expected to take up the issue. If the push to rename the bridge is successful, the bridge would be known as the “Kollin Nielsen Memorial Bridge” and signage to reflect the name could be erected.