Three public infrastructure projects in Benton and Franklin counties are among those to receive a total of $137.5 million from the state’s Public Works Board. 

The projects will help with sewage and wastewater treatment as well as pay for the demolition of the old underpass below the recently built Lewis Street overpass in Pasco. 

In Benton County, the board awarded a $1.7 million construction grant to repair or replace 8,000 linear feet of residential sewer line throughout Benton City. The city of Richland received $500,000 in a pre-construction grant to make improvements that will replace and update components of the anaerobic digesters at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. 

In Franklin County, the Lewis Street Overpass project in Pasco has been ongoing since August 2021, with demolition of the aging underpass it replaced being one of the last portions remaining. The board awarded that effort a $3.5 million grant. 

The Public Works Board, created in 1985, aims to help local governments address critical infrastructure needs via various financing options.