[Editor Note: Come prepared with the issues, flooding areas, signals, and turning problems you already know about! When I-5 is blocked at Nisqually/Dupont and traffic flows through Yelm & Roy, Pacific Avenue is a key corridor. There are no alternate routes nearby.]

SR 7/ SR 507 to 99th St S – Corridor Improvements – Pre-design

An in-person open house is scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Spanaway Middle School, 15701 B St. E, Tacoma. WSDOT staff will be available to answer questions and take comments on proposed potential improvements to SR 7.

No formal presentation will be made during the in-person open house. Translators fluent in Spanish and Korean will be present. The online open house is available from Tuesday, Aug. 11 to Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Online open house link: SR 7/ SR 507 to 99th St S – Corridor Improvements – Pre-design Online Open House | WSDOT Engage

REPAVING

This section of State Route 7 between SR 507 and 99th Street South is part of a WSDOT preservation project. The Preservation Program maintains and extends the life of a highway. This part of SR 7 needs to be repaved. Repaving helps protect the roadway and helps reduce the potential for more expensive repairs later.

This pre-design study will identify transportation improvements to go along with the paving. These may include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades and changes to support people who walk, roll, take transit, and drive.

Due to the project’s location and funding, the pre-design must meet the requirements of Complete Streets and the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act.

Complete Streets is an approach to planning, designing, building, operating, and maintaining transportation systems so people of all ages and abilities can safely and conveniently access destinations. In Washington, Complete Streets requirements apply to state highway projects based on cost thresholds established by the Legislature in 2022.

The HEAL Act builds on WSDOT’s commitment to environmental justice. It focuses on the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, in decisions that affect their environment and health. It also works to reduce harm and improve conditions for community that are more affected.

This project also builds on the South Pierce Multimodal Connectivity Study from September 2023. That study identified strategies to reduce serious and fatal crashes, improve travel options, and reduce delays for all travelers.

Current conditions

WSDOT is reviewing current conditions along this section of SR 7 to better understand how the highway, sidewalks and drainage is working today. The goal is to identify improvements that make SR 7 safer, easier to use, and more reliable for the more than 30,000 travelers who use it daily.