Pierce County residents are invited to celebrate the completion of a series of projects along the 112th Street East corridor from 18th Avenue East to 86th Avenue East with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 29.
The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the Woodland Elementary School field, 7707 112th St. E, Puyallup.
The corridor was completed in five major segments that spanned 4.28 miles. Over the years, the county has widened portions of the roadway to add lanes, improved street lighting and traffic signals, and added sidewalks, gutters and curbs, among other improvements.
“The improvements will relieve traffic congestion, improve connectivity and public safety, and add access for pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. “We are pleased with the results of more than 20 years of effort by our employees, partners and contractors.”
Design work on the first project – from 18th Avenue East to Waller Road East – started in 1993 and went to construction in 1996. The final project – from Woodland Avenue East to 86th Avenue East – was completed in 2013.
The work cost $43.4 million. Funding came from a combination of Transportation Improvement Board funds, County Road Funds, a Public Works Trust Fund loan, real estate excise taxes and bonds, developer funds (State Environmental Policy Act mitigation contributions), and vehicle license fees.
The corridor improvements included several firsts for the county.
The first underground water quality vault was installed to treat and clean stormwater. Crews also removed many concrete panels from the roadway, replacing them with asphalt. Similar replacements were ultimately made around the county.
Finally, this was one of the first large-scale corridor projects that included an urban roadway section with curbs, gutters, and sidewalks to allow expanded access for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Ceremony details
Speakers at the May 29 ceremony include Executive McCarthy, County Council Chair Joyce McDonald (District 2), Councilmember Rick Talbert (District 5), Public Works and Utilities Director Brian Ziegler, and Transportation Improvement Board Executive Director Steve Gorcester.
Parking is limited at the school. Attendees are encouraged to carpool.
