Allentown Truck Reroute Project

Project Status

The City of Tukwila is developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate alternatives to reroute existing BNSF truck traffic in Allentown. An EIS is a process to evaluate potential effects that proposed alternatives may have on the built and natural environment.

Review and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

The City of Tukwila has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Allentown Truck Reroute Project. The DEIS is a study of alternative routes for the freight truck traffic that currently uses streets in Tukwila’s Allentown neighborhood to access BNSF Railway’s South Seattle Intermodal Facility. It evaluates three proposed truck routes and a no-action alternative in which freight truck traffic would continue to use the current route.

The City is asking the public to review and comment on the DEIS. State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) guidelines require that all formal comments must be submitted in writing within the 30-day comment period: March 11th through April 9th, 2025.

What sorts of things should comments be focused on?

We’re asking commenters to consider:

• Does the DEIS explain what the purpose of the project is and why it’s needed?
• Does it provide a clear and thorough description of the project, the project area, and potential effects from the alternatives?
• Does the DEIS identify measures for avoiding or reducing potential impacts from proposed alternatives?
• Are there other alternatives that should be considered?

Where is the DEIS available?

You can view the DEIS for the Allentown Truck Reroute Project here on the project website. Starting March 18th, printed copies of the document will also be available for review at the front desk at the Tukwila Community Center (12424 42nd Ave S), and at the Tukwila branch of the King County Library (14380 Tukwila International Boulevard).

• Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

Appendix – Technical Reports

• Appendix A – Scoping comments
• Appendix B – Plan sheets for the Alternatives
• Appendix C – Wetland And Stream Technical Report
• Appendix D – Allentown EIS Intersection Study
• Appendix E – Cultural Context

How can I comment on the DEIS?

• Submit your comments using the form on this webpage.
• Attend our community meeting and provide your written comments in person
  • Where: Tukwila Community Center – 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168
  • When: March 25, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Email your comments to Mark.Hafs@TukwilaWA.gov
• Mail your comments to:
  Mark Hafs
  6300 Southcenter Blvd
  Tukwila, WA 98188

How long does the public have to comment on the DEIS?

The public comment period lasts from March 11 through April 9, 2025.

Learn more at our Community Meeting on March 25, 2025

The City will hold a community meeting where the public can get information about the DEIS and ask questions. The meeting will be at the Tukwila Community Center (12424 Tukwila International Boulevard) on March 25th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Submit your comments online for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

EIS Timeline

Frequently Asked Questions

How can community members be involved in this process?
Your involvement is crucial to this project. There are several ways to keep track of and comment on the Truck Reroute EIS process:

• Attend our Allentown community meetings.
• Review project progress here on the project website.
• Review and comment on the upcoming Draft EIS (fall of 2024) which will include the proposed truck reroute alternatives and an analysis of potential effects from each of them.
• Join our email list to stay informed! We appreciate your continued participation.

Does the City of Tukwila have a preferred alternative for rerouting truck traffic?
The City will select a preferred alternative at the end of the EIS process after considering the results of the Final EIS.

Will we hear updates while the Draft EIS is being produced?
Yes, periodic updates will be issued via the project update email. You can join the project email list here.

Will the project include only alternatives from past truck reroute planning efforts, or will new alternatives also be considered?
The project team has considered eight truck reroute alternatives altogether: Four alternatives from past planning efforts, three new alternatives, and the existing route (the no-build alternative). The City has selected four of these alternatives to be included in the EIS, including one that was studied previously, two new alternatives, and the existing truck route.  These alternatives will be studied in the EIS to determine their potential impacts on built and natural environments in and around Allentown.

Are other agencies, like King County, Sound Transit, etc., notified about the scoping process?
Legal notices, for both the first and second phases of scoping, have been published in the Seattle Times and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Register. It has also been distributed to select agencies and businesses who might have an interest in the project.

How is the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being funded?
City funds will cover the cost of the EIS.

Project History

• BNSF’s South Seattle Intermodal Facility is located on the east side of the Allentown neighborhood. For many years, trucks traveling to and from the BNSF facility have accessed it mainly via a route that uses 42nd Ave. S (over the 42nd Ave. S Bridge) and S 124th Street.
• In 2015, the City undertook a study to find a new truck route that would reduce the impacts of trucks in Allentown. The BNSF Railway Intermodal Facility Access Study was completed in late 2016.
• The study proposed four alternative truck routes that would not travel through Allentown, and one alternative that considered the impacts of leaving the current truck route in place.
• As part of the study, the City held open houses where the public gave input about the needs of the Allentown community and commented on the proposed truck route alternatives.
• Using the 2016 study as a starting point, the City will now prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) which will take a more in-depth look at the truck route options identified in the 2016 study, and update the study’s findings to include today’s conditions, improved project understanding, and additional community input.
• Moving forward with work on the EIS, the City is committed to clear and open communication with the public – of its findings, its intentions, and it actions.
• November 2023 – the City Council selected three truck route alternatives to be studied in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
• The project team collected information about the current conditions in Allentown and studied how the proposed alternative truck routes might affect them.

Document Library and Helpful Links

Questions? Interested in learning more? Please contact Mark Hafs at (206) 902-6690 or Mark.Hafs@TukwilaWA.gov.