Gov. Chris Gregoire will be in Tacoma Wednesday to sign the historic transportation budget for the 2009-2011 biennium, which includes the largest two-year construction budget ever for the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Gov. Gregoire will also sign Senate Bill No. 5684, which addresses environmental mitigation requirements in highway construction projects.

The signing ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, 5th floor Expo Hall lobby, 1500 Broadway, Tacoma.

After the event, Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy has invited legislators and stakeholders who supported the county’s effort to lobby for a fair share of transportation spending to attend a reception.