Is a roundabout planned for this busy Pierce County road? Here’s what WSDOT said
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- WSDOT plans a single-lane roundabout at SR 302 and 118th Ave NW; design phase ongoing.
- Project funded by the Highway Safety Improvement Program; construction earliest 2027.
- Public input was split in an open house in 2023, with some in support and some opposed.
Will a roundabout help reduce crashes on the Key Peninsula’s main highway?
The Washington State Department of Transportation began exploring a potential roundabout at the intersection of state Route 302 and 118th Avenue Northwest on the Key Peninsula in 2023, through a pre-design study. The intersection, near Ravensara Espresso, is currently controlled by stop signs, and was identified as a possible site for a single-lane roundabout to improve traffic safety.
Because roundabouts require drivers to slow down, they can decrease the likelihood of serious crashes, along with increasing efficiency by allowing traffic to keep moving, the WSDOT website says. The planned roundabout at 118th Avenue Northwest is funded through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, which allocates funding for states and local jurisdictions to spend on traffic safety projects.
A post on a Key Peninsula Facebook page Oct. 17 opposing the proposed roundabout had about 250 comments days later. Some commenters identified the intersection as a dangerous traffic area, some supported a potential roundabout and others wondered if the roundabout could be related to plans for development nearby.
In an email Oct. 20, WSDOT spokesperson Doug Adamson confirmed that WSDOT is planning a roundabout at this intersection.
“The project is now in the design phase,” he wrote. “The design phase is the key phase needed before any construction can occur.”
Construction could begin in spring 2027 at the earliest, Adamson wrote. A report from the 2023 pre-design study noted that construction was “likely to begin in 2024.”
Asked about the projected cost for design and construction, Adamson wrote that because “the project is in the design phase, it’s premature to give the final costs as they are still being calculated.”
WSDOT identified the 118th Avenue Northwest intersection as an area of concern as part of Target Zero, which is the department’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The plan aims to eliminate serious and fatal crashes on state highways by 2030, according to the department website.
The 118th Avenue Northwest intersection was flagged as one location among those that have “high entering at angle type crashes, more crashes than average, enough existing pavement for a compact roundabout, and a daily traffic count of 25,000 vehicles or less,” the report said. It noted that 18,500 vehicles cross the 118th Avenue Northwest intersection every day.
The News Tribune asked WSDOT spokesperson Doug Adamson if the roundabout is related to any development projects nearby, but did not immediately receive a response to that question Monday.
County permit records indicate that an applicant applied for a conditional use permit in 2024 to build a four-building storage facility at 17111 121st St. NW near the intersection. Email records show that a WSDOT project engineer got in contact in February with representatives of the property owner to discuss possible conflicts between the roundabout and the proposed storage facility, and the parties found none.
Respondents submitted 192 comments about the proposed roundabout to WSDOT during an online open house in 2023. About half fully supported the roundabout, while some had concerns.
“As a resident living on 118th Ave something has been needed for a long time,” one resident commented. “The line of sight to the west from 118th is terrible when trying to turn onto Hwy 302.”
“I personally feel adding a roundabout here would be a bad idea,” another respondent wrote. “SR 302 is the main artery for residences deeper in the Key Peninsula as it transitions to (Key Peninsula Highway) just up the road and the proposed project would act as a speed reduction zone that with current volumes seems it would only cause further backups.”
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
