By Teresa Herriman, The Courier-Herald

Drivers on the east side of Lake Tapps can look forward to several more months of delays before two current road projects and a third planned improvement are completed.

Road reconstruction has Connells Prairie Road closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The closure allows crews to install water and sewer lines for the development of White River Estates on Connells Prairie. When complete, Connells Prairie Road will be reconstructed, improving the surface and adding a turn lane for the new housing development.

According to Bruce Duncan, right of way administrative officer for Pierce County Public Works, the project is scheduled to be completed by April 23.

Nearby, on 214th Avenue East, the county is widening the bridge over the flume to Lake Tapps.

The road over the bridge is limited to one lane on weekdays during the $770,000 project, causing some back-ups.

The project is expected to continue through November.

Jerry Bryant, field engineering manager for Pierce County Public Works, said flaggers will be controlling traffic for the majority of that time.

In August, the county will begin a project farther north to improve the intersection at 218th Avenue East and 40th Street East.

Other Pierce County road improvements include connecting 9th Avenue East and 182nd Avenue East.

Bryant calls the project, "the missing link" since it is the last leg of the Lake Tapps East Parkway.

The project is scheduled to begin a year from now.

"Once that's done the (Lake Tapps East Parkway) project will be done," Bryant said.

That project isn't scheduled to start until early next year.

The county is working with the city of Bonney Lake to complete roadwork from state Route 410 to 202nd Avenue East.

"The city needed to acquire the right of way and finalize the design," Bryant said. "The rest of the portion is in the county."

Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@courierherald.com

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