Infrastructure projects impacting Pierce County roads

Pierce County infrastructure projects in 2024 impacted South Sound roads. A proposed roundabout on SR 162 is meant to reduce T-bone collisions. A $150 million project near Bonney Lake is meant to improve access to the fast-growing area of the county.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

The newly opened Falling Water Boulevard that connects to Tehaleh Boulevard, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Bonney Lake, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 1: THIS $150 MILLION PROJECT WILL HELP DRIVERS IN THE FASTEST-GROWING PART OF PIERCE COUNTY

The road provides another outlet for the 11,000 residents of a planned community. | Published December 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Alexis Krell

The state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has plans to construct a single-lane roundabout on state Route 162 and Orville Road East near Orting. By Courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation

NO. 2: A NEW $3 MILLION ROUNDABOUT PLANNED FOR SR 162 IS MEANT TO ELIMINATE T-BONE WRECKS

About 9,000 vehicles pass through the intersection per day, and 9.5 percent of those vehicles are trucks. | Published February 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Angelica Relente

Construction workers wear masks as they work on the road along north first street in Tacoma, Wash., on Monday, May 4, 2020. By Joshua Bessex

NO. 3: IT’S START OF CONSTRUCTION SEASON IN PIERCE COUNTY. WILL YOUR STREET SEE IMPROVEMENTS?

New street lights and neighborhood street-safety projects are planned this year. Here’s where. | Published May 9, 2024 | Read Full Story by Becca Most

A road work project has begun on 6th Avenue and Madison Street in Tacoma, Washington, shown on Wednesday, May 28, 2024. By Tony Overman

NO. 4: RECYCLING ASPHALT? IT’S ONE TRICK TACOMA IS USING TO MAKE STREET REPAIR CLIMATE FRIENDLY

Street crews work to save taxpayers money and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. | Published June 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Carter

The heavily traffic intersection of 6th Avenue and South Orchard Street, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Tacoma, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 5: TACOMA HAS SPENT $371M SINCE ‘15 TO FIX STREETS. WHY ARE ITS MAIN ROUTES GETTING WORSE?

Voters might be asked to pass another tax increase next year to address the city’s deteriorating arterials. | Published September 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Carter

A road work project has begun on 6th Avenue & Madison Street in Tacoma, Washington, shown on Wednesday, May 28, 2024. By Tony Overman

NO. 6: FIXING TACOMA’S BAD STREETS WOULD COST BILLIONS. THAT’S RIGHT, BILLIONS -- WITH A ‘B’

“The cost of reconstruction is about 250 times more than that of preservation activities on average.” | Published October 23, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Carter Shea Johnson

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.