Allentown Truck Reroute Project

Project Status

Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

In June 2025, the City of Tukwila issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Allentown Truck Reroute Project. As part of the overall EIS process, the City is now preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to evaluate a new truck route alternative – Alternative 6 – that was identified during preparation of the FEIS. The SEIS describes the new truck route, documents the existing conditions in areas the route would travel through, and studies probable significant environmental impacts Alternative 6 could have on the built and natural environments.

 

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SEIS Timeline

 

Draft SEIS Documents

• Draft Allentown Truck Reroute SEIS

Appendices

• Appendix A – Wetland and Streams Technical Report
• Appendix B – Transportation Technical Memo
• Appendix C – Cultural Technical Memo

 

As of October 21st, you can also access a paper copy of the Draft SEIS at:

•  The front desk of the Tukwila Community Center (12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168)
• The Renton branch of the King County Library (100 Mill Avenue S Renton, WA 98057)

 

Ways to submit comments on the Draft SEIS

 

Attend our next community meeting and provide your written comments in person.

• Where: Tukwila Community Center (12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168)
• When: October 28th from 5:30pm – 7pm
• To request an interpreter, please email AllentownTruckReRoute@TukwilaWA.gov by October 21st.

 

Submit your comments using the online comment form here on the project website

 

Email your comments to AllentownTruckReRoute@TukwilaWA.gov

 

Mail your comments to:

Mark Hafs
6300 Southcenter Blvd. Suite 200
Tukwila, WA 98188

Mailed comments must be postmarked by November 12th, 2025

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the new truck route alternative called?
The new alternative is called Alternative 6.

How does the SEIS relate to the FEIS the City issued in June 2025?
The SEIS is an addition to the studies in the Allentown Truck Reroute FEIS and is intended to provide a side-by-side comparison between Alternative 6 and Alternatives 2, 3b, and 4 in the FEIS.

Will Alternative 6 include new roads and bridges like the alternatives in the FEIS?
Alternative 6 will travel on existing roads – primarily State of Washington highways – and will not include construction of new roads and bridges.

Is the project area for Alternative 6 the same as for alternatives in the FEIS?
The routes that Alternative 6 would use would travel through a broader area than with other truck route alternatives. Roads that Alternative 6 would include state highways that extend south into Renton, and public roads in the industrial-zoned part of northwest Tukwila.

Will there be an opportunity for the public to comment on the SEIS?
The City will hold a public comment period from October 13th through November 12th, 2025, during which the public and stakeholders will be able to review the Draft SEIS and submit their opinions and ideas about it to the City in writing.

Will there be public meetings for the SEIS?
The City will hold a community meeting to present the findings of the draft and provide information about how and when to submit comments on it to the City. The meeting will be at the Tukwila Community Center (12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168) on October 28th from 5:30pm – 7pm.

Are there parts of the Draft SEIS that would provide a quick overview of the Alternative 6?

• A summary beginning on page 12 gives an overview of Alternative 6, including what its goals are, the areas that might be affected by it, and what the potential effects of the project might be — both beneficial and adverse.
• A map on page 14 of the summary shows the location of roads that are included in Alternative 6.
• Table 1-1 on page 16 of the summary details potential impacts of the project and proposed measures to mitigate those impacts.

What will happen once the SEIS is issued?
Based on the findings of both the SEIS and the FEIS, the City will determine if any of the alternatives are feasible. For example, are they affordable, can they be constructed, and can the alternatives get the permits required by state and federal regulators. If the City finds that any of the alternatives is feasible, it will decide whether to select a preferred alternative, and whether to move forward with further planning and design effort for it.

Does the City of Tukwila have a preferred alternative for rerouting truck traffic?
The City does not have a preferred alternative.

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.
• Join our email list to stay informed! We appreciate your continued participation.

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, were published in the Seattle Times and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Register. It was also 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.

Who can I contact with questions or comments about the Truck Reroute Project?
Mark Hafs, Project Director
(206) 902-6690
Mark.Hafs@Tukwilawa.gov

 

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.
• Winter 2023 – Using the 2016 study as a starting point, the City began preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) which takes a more in-depth look at the truck route options identified in the 2016 study, updating that study’s findings to include current conditions, improved project understanding, and additional community input.
• 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.
• April 2025 – the City published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
• June 2025 – the City of Tukwila issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Allentown Truck Reroute Project, which studies 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.
• August 2025 – work begins on Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to study a new truck route alternative.

 

Document Library and Helpful Links

 

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