County Road Projects Move Ahead on KP

Progress continues as scheduled to install more sidewalks in Key Center along a 385-foot section of Olson Drive NW west of the intersection with Key Peninsula Hwy NW.  Pierce County Engineer Brian Stacy said the $337,000 project is on track for completion by the end of June. The cost is funded by the Pierce County Road Fund and Washington State County Road Administration Board Rural Arterial Program Funds.  Work began as scheduled April 28 with temporary erosion control measures and site clearing. Crews are widening that portion of Olson Road NW and installing storm drainage, followed by installation of curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Finally, the road surface will be repaved before the project is completed. The majority of the work is expected to be done the first week of June with some final tasks wrapping up by mid-June.  Travel delays are anticipated, with two-way traffic reduced at times to a single alternating lane during working hours between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Upcoming Open House on Two Road Improvement Projects The announcement of an open house for discussion on two county road projects was prepared and ready but temporarily placed on hold during the immediate health care crisis. Stacy said to expect public notification of the open house in late May, in anticipation of the lifting of Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order in June.  The open house concerns County Road Project 5769, the accident-prone three-way intersection where the KP Highway meets Lackey Road NW and Jackson Lake Road NW, and CRP 5897, which would extend 186th Avenue NW to provide an essential alternate throughway for emergency access to the south end of the KP in the event the KP Highway is blocked. “I find the community out there to be very engaged in the various infrastructure needs,” Stacy said. “It’s that type of thoughtful feedback that helps us as we prioritize our limited resources to the highest and best use for the citizens of the Key Pen area.”  Bridge Construction Projects CRP 5794 will provide a seismic retrofit of the bridge at Herron Road NW. The project went out for construction bids in April. It will be partially funded by a federal grant.  CRP 5871 will replace the bridge over Glencove Creek at Cramer Road NW. Currently in design phase, it is anticipated to go to construction in 2022 with more than $3 million in federal grant funding.  Chip Sealing Slated The county chip sealing program will focus on the south end of the KP this summer. Whiteman Road SW, 76th Street SW, Bay Road SW, Rouse Road SW and Erikson Road SW are all scheduled to receive the treatment, extending the life of the pavement.