Oregon Public Broadcasting

The deep-bore tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way viaduct in Seattle is inching closer to approval in the Washington legislature.

The House transportation committee signed off on the project Thursday. Correspondent Ryan Morden explains that spending is bringing up geographical differences.

After this committee vote, the saga of the viaduct's replacement now faces potentially its highest hurdle: speaker Frank Chopp's rules committee.

Rules is the final stop before the project can move to the floor for a vote. Chopp has expressed skepticism for the tunnel and has the power to stop it.

Republican Brad Klippert -- representing the mid-southern part of Washington -- disagrees with the large concentration of state spending going to Seattle.

Brad Klippert, “That will cost the state $2.4 billion plus cost overruns for 1.7 miles when we can fix it in place and make it safe for $1.3 billion.”

Other Eastern Washington lawmakers think the city of Seattle should chip in more for the tunnel’s direct cost and that the legislature should make sure state taxpayers aren’t stuck with cost overruns.