Around Town: Road work and new businesses

Road construction seems to be all around town if you live or work in Frederickson.  The various street upgrades are each in different stages, but should wrap up by mid-December as wintery weather begins to roll in.


Utillity work at 176th St and 22nd Ave

Currently, there are three different road projects affecting the Frederickson area , with the largest being the widening of 176^th St from Waller Road to 14^th Ave.  The widening on 176^th St is part of the continuing project to create a thoroughfare from Meridian Ave to Pacific Ave, and eventually connecting to the controversial Cross-Base Highway.

On Wednesday, Nov 28, Totem Electric of Tacoma began moving the lines and changing out the traffic lights at the 22^nd Ave intersection to set up lighting during construction.  Other utility companies are working in the area also during what is called the “utility window” prior to road destruction and paving expected to take place in the Spring of 2013.

The traffic light change, accompanied by moderate rain, slowed travelers a little as flaggers motioned for cars to lower their speeds, but didn’t stop utility workers from making the necessary moves.

There will be a single weekend road closure of the intersection at 176th St and 22nd Ave to allow the contractor, Tucci and Sons, to widen, re-grade and pave the entire intersection at once. Dates for the weekend road closure have not yet been determined, but detour routes during the road closure will be posted and the public notified in advance.


Rain did not stop workers near 22nd Ave

The second area of road work is also along 22^nd Ave, from 184^th St to 187^th St.  The road is being torn up and repaved, leaving an unfinished road for commuters on this stretch of road. 

The construction is being done for Lennar Northwest Inc. to update access to the new Brink Ranch development.  The project will be adding a center turn lane at the site to assist with the traffic flow.  There will also be curbs, gutters and sidewalk along 22nd Ave at the site.

Ryan McGowan, a spokesperson for Lennar Northwest, told the Pierce Prairie Post the target date for completion is December 11, but with the potential for weather delays could be as late as December 15.

22^nd Ave is has become a heavily traveled north-south corridor in the past few years and is the western boundary of Frederickson and part of the eastern boundary of Spanaway.  

Work being done near Boeing entrance

A third stretch of construction is near the entrance of the Boeing Wing Plant on Canyon Road, just south of railroad tracks that cross 176^th St.  Utility work is being done, plus curbs and sidewalks are being added in a continuation of Canyon Road’s march southward.  Little disruption to traffic has been seen due to Canyon being a four-lane road with a center turn lane.

Utility work looks to have completed at the updated 196^th St/Canyon Road intersection for the entrance to the newly built 400,000 square-foot Carlisle Construction plant inside Randles Business Park.  The Carlisle facility is dubbed an “insulation super plant” in the company’s newsletter that states the facility will manufacture Polyisocyanurate (Polyiso), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and “will be unlike any other in the roofing and construction industries.”

The roofing and wall insulation company will transfer its headquarters for the Insulfoam EPS brand of insulation to the Frederickson plant from Tacoma in the first quarter of 2013.  Additional features of the facility include 13 shipping bays, three conference rooms and a fully functional training room where Carlisle’s customers can receive up-to-date training on every Carlisle product.