The Washington Department of Transportation has postponed indefinitely

improvements planned for State Highway 270 in Pullman.

Widening Highway 270, or Main Street, to four lanes between Spring Street and Johnson Road would cost an estimated $4 million to $5 million.

Al Gilson, public information officer for the transportation department, said Monday the project has already been designed and right of way purchased.

The department has no money for the construction phase, however, because the Washington Legislature diverted $140 million in motor vehicle excise taxes in 1993 to balance the budget for the state's general fund, Gilson said.

The legislative action forced the transportation department to postpone all Category C projects not already under construction. Category C projects add new lanes or highways to improve traffic capacity.

The Pullman plans will remain on the books with a fairly high priority until dollars become available, Gilson said.

It's possible the Legislature could appropriate money for Category C projects during its 1994 session, which began Monday.

Other

state projects planned for Whitman County include:

*Replacement of a bridge over the South Fork of the Palouse River on Highway 26 near Colfax. The project, with an estimated cost of $3.5 million to $4.5 million, isn't scheduled for construction until at least 1996.

*Resurfacing of Highway 27, or Grand Avenue, between Highway 195 and Pullman. Half the design work has been done for Grand Avenue, scheduled

to be put out for bids this March.

Cost is estimated at $700,000 to $800,000 for the joint state/city proj

ect, Gilson said.