Drive along Pacific Highway Southwest in the Ponders Corner area, and it’s easy to see why the Lakewood City Council is itching for change there – and willing to invest millions to get it.
The stretch of road is a bleak, mile-long strip of pawn shops, cheap motels, storage units, an adult bookstore – and not much else except a reputation for criminal activity. Unfortunately, it’s located just south of the Interstate 5 exit (Bridgeport Way/McChord Air Force Base) that Lakewood wants to serve as an attractive entrance to the city.
There’s hardly anything on Pacific Highway between Bridgeport Way and Gravelly Lake Drive to the south to entice businesses to locate there – despite its proximity to I-5. It’s in stark contrast to the stretch of road on the other side of Bridgeport, where a new La Quinta Inn is located. A Ford dealership recently went in up the highway, across from the Sound Transit station scheduled to open to bus service this fall. Farther north a lively international mix of businesses has taken hold.
So it’s good news that the Lakewood City Council has approved a $7.28 million plan to redesign the Ponders stretch of Pacific Highway Southwest, with $3.3 million coming from state grants. The city plans to shift the road to give it more visibility from I-5 and provide more room for parking, sidewalks, landscaping and utilities. The stretch’s five lanes will become three (two with a middle turn lane), and other improvements will include curbs, gutters, improved drainage, a bike lane and streetlights.
The reduction to three lanes – plus such amenities as landscaping and sidewalks – should give the highway a friendlier, more accessible feel. A more attractive roadway is more likely to lure the kind of businesses Lakewood wants for the area.
The city is working hard to upgrade its most challenging neighborhoods. The City Council has already committed to investing in the blighted Tillicum area, where much-needed sewers, water lines and storm drains will be installed and Union Avenue will be improved starting this summer.
The Tillicum and Ponders improvement projects are not without critics, primarily business owners who fear construction disruptions and loss of public rights-of-way they’ve used as parking. But the city’s plans are in the long-term interest of those neighborhoods. If its investments pay off as hoped, local residents, businesses and Lakewood taxpayers will all benefit.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.