POULSBO — State Rep. Beverly Woods (R-Kingston) is searching for two things on the State Route 305 widening project: $3.5 million and why $9 million was spent before it went out for bid.

The apparent lowest bid for the project to widen SR 305 from two lanes to four lanes from Bond Road to the south city limits and install salmon-friendly culverts came in at $14.9 million June 1 while the state engineer’s estimate for the project was $11.4 million.

“One of the things I want to tell you is we are asking everybody we can to find additional money,” Woods, the ranking minority of the House Transportation Committee, told Poulsbo City Council during its meeting Wednesday night.

One of the funding strategies being considered is reviewing Washington State Department of Transportation projects that were supposed to proceed this year but were delayed for various reasons, she said.

“We can move that money into this project and fund those in the next biennium,” Woods said. “Or we can see what we can delay this project this year and it can be done in the next biennium.”

While the immediate issue is finding the funds to move the widening project to ahead as planned, Woods said she wants to know why “$9 million was spent on preliminary work.”

The total funding for the project was just over $20 million, but $9 million was used upfront leaving only $11.4 million for construction, she explained. That $9 million represents about 45 percent of the project’s total budget.

“I think we need to do a better job of controlling our upfront costs, so we have money for construction,” she said, noting she is calling for a thorough investigation of the expenses.

“It doesn’t solve the problem we have today, but we have $12 billion worth of projects in the state,” she said. “We need to control upfront costs, so we have the funding we need for construction costs.”

In addition to determining the reasons for the large upfront costs, Woods said she is also seeking full accountability from WSDOT for the money spent on the project.

Mayor Kathryn Quade said city officials are actively pursuing funding sources to cover the $3.5 million shortfall.

“Our city engineer has already approached the Puget Sound Regional Council and there are some funds there, but they’re not nearly enough,” Quade said.

Letters have also been sent to U.S. Congressman Jay Inslee and State Sen. Phil Rockefeller requesting their help in ensuring the project can move ahead on schedule, she said.

“We have a very short time to get this project started and I’m hopeful we can find the money,” Quade said, noting the fish window — the time of the year when salmon begin their annual migration to the waters of the Puget Sound from inland rivers and streams — closes in two weeks and then environmental regulations will be much stricter.