Overview
WSDOT widened Interstate 5 between S. 320th Street and the Pierce County line by adding an HOV lane for carpools, vanpools and buses to both directions of the freeway. This is part of WSDOT's comprehensive plan to add carpool lanes on Interstate 5 south through the Tacoma urban area. The project also adds traffic cameras, installs hardware needed to create traffic congestion maps and improves the existing pavement.
 | Improves Safety
Increased capacity should reduce backups and unexpected stopped traffic, resulting in fewer rear-end collisions. Wider bridges with shoulders, updated guardrail and barrier will also enhance safety.
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 | Relieves Congestion
The new HOV lanes will provide faster trips for those who choose to carpool, vanpool or take the bus. HOV lanes also help free up space for drivers in other lanes.
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 | Protects Environment
Facilities such as detention ponds will capture and clean highway runoff before it is slowly released to nearby streams. The noise wall at S. 320th Street was also extended.
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Partnerships & Cooperation
At WSDOT we seek to address the concerns of the tribal nations using the process outlined in Section 106 of The National Historic Preservation Act and the WSDOT Tribal Consultation Policy adopted in 2003 by the Transportation Commission as part of the WSDOT Centennial Accord Plan.
WSDOT notified six tribes of this project during the planning phase. In addition, because the project has potential to affect the Hylebos Creek system, and could also have effects to a fish resource important to the Puyallup Tribe, WSDOT conducted further consultations addressing this issue. We addressed these potential effects in the environmental documentation process of the project.
Funding
This project is funded by the following sources:
- 2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding) - $53,755,393
- Existing Funds - $1,381,110
- Total Funding from All Sources - $55,136,503 million
Contact Us
Assistant Project Engineer Mark Sawyer
WSDOT Project Office
21851 84th Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032-1958
Phone: 253.872.2958
E-mail: SawyerM@wsdot.wa.gov
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