Project Title & Location

1)  6th Avenue/Pearl Street to Jackson Ave., Tacoma 
2)  SR 16 HOV - Union Ave. to Jackson Ave., Tacoma
3)  36th Street to Olympic Drive, Gig Harbor

Project Description
This project constructs HOV Lanes on SR 16 from Olympic Drive in Gig Harbor to Union Avenue in Tacoma. There are currently four travel lanes. There will be six lanes throughout the corridor when complete, with additional lanes provided between Union Avenue and 6th Avenue interchanges.

Contractor/Consultant
Tri-State Construction, Inc. of Bellevue in January 2004 was awarded the project's first phase, 6th Avenue to Jackson Avenue. The second phase was advertised to bidders in March 2004.  The final phase has not yet been advertised for bids.

Recent Progress
The first phase of this work, 6th Ave/Pearl Street to Jackson Avenue, is scheduled to begin in April 2004. The second phase, Union to Jackson avenues, was advertised for construction bids in late March. The final and west phase of the project, 36th Street to Olympic Drive, was accelerated in February 2004 and it is on track for construction bidding in October 2004.

Design Construction Impacts

Right-of-way issues associated with wetlands mitigation have to be clarified through negotiations with the City of Tacoma before phase two construction work can begin.

Environmental Impacts / Compliance

The amount of wetlands mitigation on phase two of this project requires a 40- to 50-acre mitigation site.  WSDOT, in collaboration with Department of Ecology, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the City of Tacoma have determined the best and most practical site to accommodate wetlands within the drainage basin is around the headwaters of Leach Creek in the City of University Place.  WSDOT is working with permitting agency partners toward finding solutions to allow work to move forward on acquiring the mitigation site in University Place.  If an agreement cannot be negotiated with Tacoma, WSDOT will work to keep the project on schedule by advertising the contract and starting construction in non-sensitive areas while developing alternatives to address mitigation requirements. WSDOT is actively working with Tacoma, and expects a ruling on permitting this project in mid-April.

Impacts to Traffic
A three-day engineering workshop to focus on coordination of construction workzones for these three construction phases and the work on the New Tacoma Narrows Bridge was conducted in June 2003. Two lanes of traffic in each direction on SR 16 will be maintained throughout the project with some nighttime lane closures. Electronic message signs and highway advisory radio will be employed throughout the area, including the I-5 corridor, to alert travelers about traffic conditions on SR 16 during construction. A full communication and outreach program will also be used for traffic mitigation.

Phase one will break ground in April 2004.  Phase two will break ground summer 2004. The final phase will break ground in Spring 2005.

Planned vs. Actual Expenditures
(Total Project Cost)

Nickel funds included in above costs

2005 Transportation Partnership Account