The Port of Tacoma announced that Washington State and local transportation departments have a new tool to prioritize and seek funding for road and rail improvements in the Tideflats area. A study shows that investments in the corridor will not improve without completing State Route 167 and highlights projects that would augment a completed SR 167 to improve traffic further.
The study brought together several stakeholders, including the Port of Tacoma, Washington State Department of Transportation, Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, City of Fife, City of Tacoma, Marine View Ventures (an entity of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians), Pierce County and SSA Marine to produce a coordinated transportation plan.
The study covers the port industrial area, downtown Tacoma, the City of Fife, as well as portions of unincorporated Pierce County and Puyallup Indian Reservation. The recommended package of transportation improvements was selected to better serve truck freight traffic in the area and sustain growth over the next 20 years.
It does not include the completion of SR 167, which previous studies already identified as essential by 2030 to prevent the transportation system’s failure. The study’s projects instead identify smaller projects that could ease localized pinch points now and enhance the overall system after SR 167 is finally complete.
