By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

If a new Rhodes Lake corridor is in the city's future, its looks to be a long way down the road.

A recent meeting with Pierce County, state and other interested parties left city officials with the impression the road will not even begin construction before 2012 or 2015, if then.

&#8220This project seems to be perpetually in first gear,” City Councilman Mark Hamilton said. &#8220Everything else is in fifth gear. The county hasn't even decided to build it yet.”

Rhodes Lake Road is supposed to provide some relief for the development south of the city, which includes Cascadia and Falling Water.

&#8220We can't put the toothpaste back into the tube,” Hamilton said. &#8220Before we make any connection at 192nd Avenue East my druthers would be the (Rhodes Lake Road) corridor would be approved.”

Jesse Hamashima, transportation planning supervisor for Pierce County, said although seven or eight options for the corridor are still on the table, &#8220it's really down to three major options,” which includes a south Plateau connection to Orting and state Route 162.

&#8220An important piece of this project is that there are two forces working,” Hamashima said. &#8220There are both public and private interests at work and we are trying to understand the needs of both. People in the valley want to maintain the environmental integrity of the area…. It's a money issue and a timing issue.”

Hamashima said Cascadia is driving the corridor forward with its estimated 6,500 homes to be built over the next 20 years.

&#8220This isn't just any development,” Hamashima said. &#8220This is the largest I can recall.”

Once county officials settle on an option the plan will go through an environmental impact study, which should be completed by the summer 2007.

After the EIS is complete, it must go before the Pierce County Council for approval and money. When that hurdle is passed, 30 percent design can proceed along with right of way acquisition, which could took years to settle.

Bonney Lake Public Works Director Dan Grigsby said the &#8220question is what do we do in the interim. Without Rhodes Lake Road, Bonney Lake goes into gridlock. It's not just Cascadia. It's all the development.”

With development moving forward on a daily basis south of the city, the corridor study has become a hot-button issue.

&#8220Rhodes Lake Road is the key,” Mayor Neil Johnson said. &#8220Hopefully the county will work with us. Traffic relief is a No. 1 issue and we have to figure it out.”

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.