Allentown Truck Reroute Project

Project Status

Completion of the Environmental Impact Statement

In June 2025, the City of Tukwila issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Allentown Truck Reroute Project. The FEIS documents the effects of the freight truck traffic that currently uses residential streets in Tukwila’s Allentown neighborhood to access the BNSF Railway facility on Allentown’s east side and proposes and evaluates three alternatives for rerouting that traffic. In December 2025, the City issued a second document, the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which evaluates a fourth truck reroute alternative that was not studied in the FEIS. With the completion of these two documents, the City now has the information needed to understand the effects of freight truck traffic in Allentown and to consider future strategies for managing that traffic.

 

EIS OVERVIEW

An overview of the EIS process presented at a community meeting on October 28th, 2025.

• View October 28, 2025 Presentation

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EIS Timeline

 

 

Final EIS Documents

• Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

Appendix – Technical Reports

• Appendix A – 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

 

Supplemental EIS Documents

• Allentown Truck Reroute SEIS and Appendices

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the EIS project?
The Allentown Truck Reroute Project EIS proposes and studies alternative routes for freight trucks that use residential streets in Allentown to access BNSF’s South Seattle Multimodal Facility. The documents in the EIS will guide the City of Tukwila’s decision-making for considering and potentially selecting a preferred truck reroute alternative.

What truck route alternatives were studied in the EIS?
The EIS proposes and studies four alternatives, 2, 3b, 4 and 6. It also includes a “No Action” alternative that looks at what the effects of not rerouting freight truck traffic and instead leaving things the way they are today.

How are the FEIS and the SEIS different?
The FEIS includes descriptions and analysis of Alternatives 2, 3b, and 4, along with the “No Action” Alternative. The SEIS is a supplement to the FEIS, and focuses on Alternative 6.

Were other alternatives considered during the EIS process?
Altogether the EIS proposed and studied seven alternatives. Early in the EIS process three of these were determined to be unfeasible and were no longer considered.

Now that the EIS is complete, what will the next steps be?
The City will determine if any of the alternatives studied in the EIS are feasible. For example, how well do they address the problem of freight trucks in Allentown, what kind of impacts could they have, and can the City find funding for them? If the City finds that one of the alternatives is feasible, it would then determine whether to move forward with planning and design for that alternative.

Will there be any more public meetings for the Truck Reroute Project?
Now that the EIS process is completed, no further meetings are planned for the project.

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

Have other agencies been included in the EIS process?
The City coordinated with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff to ensure that ideas for truck route alternatives support WSDOT goals for nearby State highways and freeways, as well as future WSDOT projects that are still in the planning phase. The City also coordinated with King County and the City of Renton to get their input on alternatives that proposed routes that would include their roads.

Was BNSF consulted during the EIS process?
During several meetings, including an in-person workshop, BNSF Railway engineers, planners, and administrators provided valuable information about the layout and operations of the South Seattle Intermodal Facility located along Allentown’s east side. BNSF also submitted extensive comments during the public comment phase required by SEPA.

How wa the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) funded?
City funds covered the cost of the EIS.

Who can I contact with questions or comments about the Truck Reroute Project?

Adam Cox
Transportation Project Manager
City of Tukwila Public Works Department
(206) 427-6662
adam.cox@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.
• December 3, 2025 – the City published the SEIS, marking completion of the Allentown Truck Reroute Project EIS.

 

Document Library and Helpful Links

 

Questions? Interested in learning more? Please contact adam.cox@tukwilawa.gov.