Massive Roadway Project Will Close W Pioneer Beginning July 8

PUYALLUP, WA — Phase one of a massive project to create the largest piece of contiguous green infrastructure in Washington State will begin July 8 near the Washington State University campus west of Puyallup, off West Pioneer Avenue and South Fruitland, according to Puyallup's engineering department.

For Puyallup residents and commuters, the kickoff of Phase one marks the start of several future road closures in the area.

The first complete closure will affect West Pioneer Avenue from the South Fruitland intersection to the Clarks Creek bridge, though the detour route will require westbound travelers to use 18th Street Southwest, and eastbound travelers to head all the way out to 14th Street Southwest before resuming West Pioneer.

The full closure will begin July 8 and continue for roughly two weeks, with its conclusion currently scheduled for July 22.

Officially, Phase one construction began in March, with contractor Northwest Cascade, Inc. at the helm. Phase one, funded by grants and the city, will ultimately cost $1.36 million.

When all five phases of the ambitious project are finally complete, however, the WSU frontage along South Fruitland will be what the city describes as "the largest Low Impact Development demonstration site in the State of Washington."

However, phases two through five are still in varying stages of acquiring funds, according to the project website. A map of the areas to be impacted by the four other forthcoming phases is below:

Low Impact Development (LID), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, essentially describes land planning and engineering designs that better manage stormwater runoff.

Using porous asphalt and pervious concrete improvements on existing streets, the city will create a roadway that effectively treats water quality for an estimated 7 million gallons of stormwater runoff per year, officials said. Currently, the untreated stormwater flows into Clarks Creek and other nearby water sources that act as habitats for salmon and other fish.

Additionally, city official say the project will "repair failing roadways, improve safety by adding separated sidewalks and cycle tracks, increase utility capacity, demonstrate the application and benefits of LID with real-time data, provide water quality data for WSU-based research for LID Best Management Practices, and dramatically improve local water quality through on-site stormwater management."

According to Stormwater Engineer and project lead Ryan Rutkosky, "The project will ultimately improve vehicular safety as well, by replacing/upgrading the signal at S. Fruitland and Pioneer, as well as by adding street lights. The city generally prioritizes projects with multiple benefits."