Traffic barrels have been on Wollochet Drive for months. What’s happening?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gig Harbor launched a $2.1M traffic project to improve road safety and access.
- Construction delays stemmed from a parts shortage for the new traffic signal system.
- Project completion is scheduled for September 2025; barriers remain in place.
Traffic control barriers have been sitting at the Wollochet Drive and Wagner Way Northwest intersection in Gig Harbor for months, but the project hasn’t been abandoned, according to the city.
During construction, an army of orange barrels and signs have been funneling traffic through the intersection on Wollochet Drive, which runs north/south. The line of barriers extends for a short distance onto Wagner Way Northwest.
The city of Gig Harbor awarded a contract to Active Construction, Inc. on May 13, 2024 to repave the site and add a new traffic signal, bike lane and improvements for pedestrians at the intersection, according to the city’s capital improvement projects website, which was last updated on June 12. The city deemed the project necessary because of “traffic impacts from surrounding private developments,” and progress has been delayed because of challenges obtaining parts for the traffic signal system, the website says.
The contractor has since obtained certain necessary components, and installed poles and underground wires for the system on May 8, per the website. They expect to complete their work on the road and signal system by September 2025.
Until the traffic signal is up and working, the traffic barriers will stay in place. Businesses in the area are still operating during construction, according to the city website.
The total project cost is $2.1 million, according to Gig Harbor Public Works Director Jeff Langhelm. The city’s capital improvements website notes that funding sources include $150,000 from Transportation Benefit District funds, $150,000 from transportation impact fees and $500,000 from a grant from the Transportation Improvement Board, a state agency that awards money to local jurisdictions for transportation projects.
