The mayors of the nine communities comprising the Valley Cities Association last week penned a great letter to state transportation leaders calling for the completion of State Route 167.

"The Valley Cities Association...strongly support the efforts of the SR 167 Completion Coalition to move the completion of SR 167 to the top of this session’s legislative transportation agenda," they wrote. "While there are other transportation needs in the state, the Valley Cities Association believes the completion of SR 167 and other South Sound priority corridors...be high priorities in any transportation revenue package moved by the Legislature this session. We ask that the state recognize that South King County, Pierce County and the Valley Cities play a significant role in catalyzing the state’s economy, and that the commitment must be kept to finish projects like these."

Here's a copy of their letter:

We also saw two more nice stories about the completion of State Route 167 over the last week. The Puyallup Herald covered the creation of the SR-167 Completion Coalition, while the Tacoma Weekly penned that "State Route 167 backers [are] confident funding can be secured." As Congressman Denny Heck noted in the article, "I passionately believe this can be a transformative project for the Puget Sound region and the entire state." Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy agreed: "We have a good game plan" when it comes to ensuring state lawmakers understand the importance of finishing this highway of statewide significance.