July 2009
The project team is focusing on property acquisition along the corridor. We have also been coordinating closely with the City of Fife as they prepare to widen Valley Avenue from two lanes to four lanes.
Governor Chris Gregoire signed the $7.5 billion transportation budget on May 13, 2009. This is the largest two-year construction budget ever for the Washington State Department of Transportation. This budget includes $63.4 million for property acquisition for the SR 167 Extension Project.
Read the weekly construction and traffic updates here.
Our second quarterly e-mail update for 2009 is available online. If you would like to receive regular project updates, join our e-mail list.
Visit our calendar page to view our 2009 schedule of events.
Visit our publications section to view our latest folio and fact sheet.
New design illustrations are available for each of the future interchanges.
Why is WSDOT
extending State Route 167?
State Route (SR) 167 is the primary freeway connecting the Kent and Puyallup River valleys to the Seattle/ Tacoma/Bellevue metropolitan area. The original planned route for the highway ran from Renton to Tacoma, but construction halted near Puyallup in the 1980s before completing the freeway to Tacoma.
The SR 167 Extension is a critical missing link in the state's highway network. Its completion is expected to improve safety and reduce congestion along local roads and freeways in the surrounding area.
To provide this missing piece of the system, WSDOT is designing an extension to the existing SR 167 helping to:
- Relieve congestion on local roads and other highways by providing new travel options
- Move freight faster, more safely and more economically
- Improve regional mobility
- Enhance surface water quality and improve stream habitat feeding into Commencement Bay
The End Result
This new highway segment will provide two general purpose lanes in each direction and will also include a transit/carpool lane in each direction from I-5 to Puyallup.
When completed, the facility will be a divided highway, with access points at interchanges in key locations: SR 509, 54th Avenue, I-5, Valley Avenue East and SR 161.
Project Benefits
- Increased Safety. Designed to modern highway standards, the highway will have limited access points to reduce traffic conflicts.
- Congestion relief. The more direct connection from SR 161 and SR 509 to I-5 will reduce freeway congestion and relieve traffic volumes on surrounding local streets in cities like Puyallup and Fife.
- Environment. In addition to conventional stormwater retention ponds, the project will include a riparian restoration program that enhances existing wetlands and promotes natural stream processes in Hylebos Creek and Surprise Lake Tributary areas of north Pierce County.
What is the project timeline?
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the Tier I Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), identifying a preferred route, in 1999. WSDOT began further study of the selected corridor in spring of 1999 with the Tier II EIS.
FHWA published the Tier II Final EIS, outlining plans to avoid or lessen the project's potential environmental impacts, in December 2006. FHWA approved the Tier II FEIS by signing the Record of Decision in October 2007, completing the environmental documentation process and allowing WSDOT to proceed with advanced engineering and design work.
We will continue right-of-way acquisition, engineering, and design as funding allows. Our charge is to design the highway and purchase as much of the corridor as possible, in preparation for when construction funding becomes available.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources:
- 2005 Gas Tax (Partnership Funding) - $70 million
- 2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding) - $63,300,605
- Existing Funds - $6,434,214
- Other Agency Funds - $20,150,722
SAFETEA-LU ($8,075,000)
Port of Tacoma ($364,791)
City of Fife ($20,000)
City of Tacoma ($45,000)
Pierce County ($55,000)
Puget Sound Regional Council ($1.8 million)
Non-Demonstration Grant ($7,569,973)
High Priority Demonstration ($2,220,957)
- Total Funding Available From All Sources - $159,885,540
Total Unfunded Amount - $2.01 billion
It's important to note the Legislature convenes in January 2009 to consider changes to the transportation budget which may include adjustments to some project schedules.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Steve Fuchs, Project Manager
WSDOT SR 167 Extension Office
P.O. Box 47375
Olympia, WA 98504-7375
Phone: 360-570-6660
E-mail: FuchsS@wsdot.wa.gov
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