Open House Questions & Comments
The City of Tacoma celebrated the completion of the “Green” Alaska Street Roadway Project on August 29 at 9:30 a.m. The event will took place on Alaska Street near the intersection of Wapato Park and South 72nd Street.
The celebration included remarks by Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Transportation Improvement Board Executive Director Steve Gorcester, Greenroads Board President Crystal Donner, and Deputy Mayor Joe Lonergan.
The roadwork included elements of the Complete Streets Guidelines, including sidewalks, curb ramps, bike lanes, street lights, landscaping, pervious concrete pavement and pedestrian islands. The project also included the installation of storm mains, sanitary sewer mains and power lines.
The City is pursuing Greenroads® certification for this section of Alaska Street, which is a sustainability rating system for roadway design and construction. Alaska Street’s sustainable design features green infrastructure such as porous concrete and infiltration trenches.
Project Update
May 2012
Greenroads (R) Certification: The City is currently pursuing Greenroads(R) certification for this section of Alaska Street. This sustainable design features green infrastructure such as porous asphalt and infiltration trenches. The project includes increased bicycle and pedestrian mobility. For additional information on Greenroads (R) please visit www.greenroads.org.
Project Update
Feb. 2012
Construction on the Alaska Street Improvement Project got underway on Oct. 3, 2011. Traffic control and detours were in place and actual construction began on Oct. 5, 2011, with clearing and grubbing of the wall at Wapato Park. Sanitary and Storm sewer utility construction began on Oct. 12. Utility construction was completed to the 6400 block of South Alaska Street and hot mix asphalt patches were placed for the Holiday Suspension period from Nov. 11, 2011, until construction resumed on Feb. 6, 2012, weather permitting.
Erosion control on all disturbed soils was completed on Nov. 4, 2011, which allowed the project suspension period to begin one week earlier than anticipated. Traffic control and detour routes were removed.
MILES RESOURCES, Inc., will be constructing and resurfacing Alaska Street, in connection with the Phase 1 portion of Alaska Street Arterial Improvements from South 72nd to South 60th streets. Planning, paving and construction of new concrete curbs and sidewalks as well as installation of new drainage facilities are scheduled to begin starting Feb. 6, 2012, weather permitting and are anticipated to last up to three months. Phase 2 will begin immediately following paving in Phase 1.
Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 pm NO PARKING WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE STREET DURING THIS TIME. The roadway will be open to local traffic only through the work zone. Access to driveways may be temporarily affected during operations.
Construction is anticipated to be completed in August of 2012.
The City of Tacoma and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), through the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) executed the grant for $5 Million dollar grant. This agreement provides funding for reconstruction of the existing roadway of Alaska Street, from South 56th to South 72nd Street. This stretch of Alaska Street has a total length of 5,400 feet and is an existing oil mat surface that lacks curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike lanes, storm drainage and adequate lighting. The adjacent traffic signals are not connected to Tacoma's central signal control system. The oil mat surface does not meet City of Tacoma arterial street standards and requires continual maintenance. This section of Alaska Street is the last unimproved section of the corridor that spans from South 38th Street to South 72nd Street.
Alaska Street is located approximately 0.2 mile east of I-5. The project is located near the Tacoma Mall Mixed Use Center. This project will promote access to the park and ride lot located at S. 56th Street and Alaska Street. This project also serves as a parallel facility to I-5 and has two cross streets that access the Tacoma Mall Center. The Tacoma Mall Center includes a Transit Center located less than one mile from the project.
The funding for the TIB agreement is approximately $5 million. This grant requires a 20% local match, for a total cost of $6 Million. The reconstruction of this roadway will include elements of the Complete Streets Guidelines, including sidewalks, curb ramps, bike lanes and pedestrian islands. The project will also include the replacement of storm lines, sanitary sewer and water mains.
Design: design completed at the end of June 2011
Construction of these improvements will be coordinated with the construction of improvements for Wapato Lake Park by Metro Parks - Tacoma, scheduled for this spring and summer.
|
Activity |
Start |
Finish |
|
Base Drawings |
11/2009 |
05/2010 |
|
Geotechnical Engineering Study |
02/2010 |
05/2010 |
|
Environmental Documentation |
04/2010 |
01/2011 |
|
ROW Acquisition |
11/2010 |
06/2011 |
|
Utility Design |
08/2010 |
05/2011 |
|
Channelization & Lighting Design |
09/2010 |
04/2011 |
|
Street Design |
08/2010 |
04/2011 |
|
Specifications |
01/2011 |
06/2011 |
|
Advertisement and Award |
07/2011 |
09/2011 |
|
Construction |
09/2011 |
07/2012 |
For more information, contact Kim Scattarella at (253) 594-7882 or kscattarella@cityoftacoma.org. Or, Mike Bell, Associate Construction Manager, Public Works, office (253)591-5304, cell (253)377-5053
City of Tacoma • Public Works Department • Engineering Division • 747 Market Street, Room 520, Tacoma, WA 98402
Email contact for this website: Karrie Spitzer 