Washington plans to spend US $5bn on road projects out of its US $7.5bn transportation budget recently passed by the House of Representatives.

Projects will start mid 2009 and will include the replacement of the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle and the paving of roads.

The house has also approved the plan to toll drivers crossing the King County’s Route 520 floating bridge across Lake Washington.

Tolls will be collected before a replacement is built for the aging structure.