Project Background
East Portland Avenue is a major arterial that provides the main north-south access in the southeast quadrant of Tacoma. It is parallel to State Route (SR) 7/Pacific Avenue and provides critical alternate capacity/access from/to Interstate 5 and SR-512. East Portland Avenue currently has four through lanes and a center two-way left turn lane for much of its length. Sidewalks are provided on both sides of East Portland Avenue which accommodate non-motorized travel. Pierce Transit operates Route 41 along the corridor and it carries approximately 267,000 riders annually. Developed sites are a mix of residential neighborhoods and supporting components such as parks, schools, and small retail shops.
Project Description
This project will construct safety improvements along the East Portland Ave corridor. The project includes removing and replacing existing traffic signal heads, pedestrian signal heads, pedestrian pushbuttons, junction boxes, and traffic controller cabinets, traffic signal poles, rewiring of existing traffic signals systems, removal and replacement of traffic islands and curb ramps, and installing channelization.
Below are the intersection included in this project.
- East Portland Ave and Puyallup
- East Portland and East 31st
- East Portland and East 32nd
- East Portland and East Fairbanks
- East Portland and East 38th
- East Portland and East 40th
- East Portland and East 44th
- East Portland and East 48th
- East Portland and East 56th
- East Portland and East 64th
- East Portland and East 72nd
Here is the project’s construction limits:
Project Schedule
Construction is expected to begin in March 2021 and last approximately 6-7 months.
Project Outreach
Informational flyers will be sent to all residents and businesses in the area notifying them of the pending construction. Notification will also be provided via social media and this website. Seven days before the start of construction, electronic message boards will be placed along the corridor notifying drivers of the pending work.
Project Funding
| Streets Initiative Funding |
$131,742 |
| Other Local Contributions |
$1,275,000 |
| Federal Grant |
$2,379,703 |
| Total Project Cost |
$3,786,445 |
Additional Information
For additional project information contact Darius Thompson, Project Manager, at (253) 573-2410 or by email.