The Puyallup Post VOLUME 22 ISSUE 4 | JANUARY 24, 2017 | PUYALLUPPOST.COM
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF PIERCE COLLEGE PUYALLUP SINCE 1994
d e k c o l d i Gr Shaw Road to close for expansion in April Chase Charaba
One such detour is 23rd Avenue Southeast to Wildwood Park Drive and then 39th Avenue Southeast. Another route ocal roadway Shaw Road will be closed for expansion is to use South Meridian Street to 39th Avenue Southeast or starting in April. That’s if work goes according to the to take 23rd Avenue Southeast to Seventh Street Southeast, estimated timeline. where students can use the West Access Road entrance to the The road will be closed from 23rd Avenue Southeast college near Bradley Lake Park. to Manorwood Drive during the first phase of construction, The closure is also expected to affect traffic on other which is expected to last through October or November. In north-south roadways in the area as drivers find alternative this phase, Shaw Road will be expanded to include left-turn ways. lanes. “The traffic models indicate that the loads will be spread “The roadway section calls for, from west to east, (a) out along SR 162, SR 161 (Meridian) (and) Canyon Road 5-foot sidewalk, travel lane, left turn lane or planted median along with some vehicles driving the detour around the (and a) 10-foot shared use path,” Puyallup City Engineer project,” Palmer said. “As was indicated during the pubMark Palmer said. lic meetings, while this will be During construction, Pierce somewhat painful, trying to keep College Puyallup students who “The roadway section calls for, the road open during construction normally use Shaw Road to get to did little to improve the situation from west to east, (a) 5-foot and lengthened the project by class will likely have to use one of the detour routes because Shaw sidewalk, travel lane, left turn several months.” Road will be closed to all traffic. Keeping Shaw Road open lane or planted median (and during construction would have According to the City of Puyallup, the project will also a) 10-foot shared use path.” also cost more because of traffic include three new crosswalks with control. rectangular rapid flash beacons at “(The project cost) would have Manorwood Drive, Forest Green Boulevard and Cherokee been $830,000 higher if we tried to keep Shaw Road open Boulevard. during construction,” Palmer said. Two public open houses enabled Puyallup residents to ask The project will impact Pierce students who currently use questions and share their concerns about the project and the the route to get to school. various plans. Ultimately, city officials chose the plan based “I use it (Shaw Road) to get to school and I take my on this feedback and the costs. brother and sister to school in the morning,” student Jasmine The project was proposed because traffic has increased on Boisselle said. “I live in downtown Puyallup. I would have Shaw Road and other major roadways in the Puyallup area. to go all the way around to get to, my sister goes to Emerald Palmer said the increase in traffic on Shaw Road was because Ridge and my brother goes to Glacier View, and then I go of the completion of the Shaw Road Overpass project at Piohere (Pierce) and I’d have to go all the way around.” neer Avenue and various improvements between 39th Avenue Southeast and Sunrise (along 122nd Avenue East). These Continued on page 4 improvements made Shaw Road a viable alternative to South Meridian Street/Meridian Avenue East. Co-Editor-in-Chief
Chase Charaba
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Chase Charaba
Chase Charaba
Chase Charaba
The intersection of Shaw Road and 23rd Avenue Southwest, one of the points where the road will be closed (left). Shaw Road near Manorwood Drive in its current state (right).