A $190.5 million project, using a $30 million Recovery Act TIGER grant, will finally clean up the “Mercer Mess” bottleneck in Seattle. The project will transform Mercer Street into a two-way boulevard that links South Lake Union and the Seattle Center to the rest of the Puget Sound region. The project provides significant bicycle, pedestrian and freight improvements, including 30 blocks of sidewalks, and will relieve severe traffic congestion for the 80,000 vehicles that use it every day. The City of Seattle estimates 1200 direct construction jobs will be created. Ground breaking is tentatively scheduled for August 2010 and the project should be completed in Summer 2012.