MILITARY ROAD'S FUTURE
 

Dramatic volume changes are coming to Military Road

between SR162 and Shaw Road

 

REASONS WHY

PIERCE COUNTY COUNCIL PASSED ORDINANCE NO 208-28s IN JUNE OF 2008 

  • ORDINANCE called for the establishment of a new arterial corridor from Tehaleh (and Falling Waters) to 128th St E and SR162
  • PURPOSE was to improve east-west mobility for the Orting Plateau (Tehaleh/Falling Waters developments)
  • MILITARY ROAD was considered the east-west link west of SR162 for plateau traffic

 

IMPACTS TO MILITARY ROAD

  • 2018 Pierce County AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) Report
    • In last 5 years 60% increase in amount of traffic on Military Road west of SR162
    • Traffic on this corridor increasing annually WITHOUT added Tehaleh traffic

 

  • Projected Military Road peak hour traffic numbers (increase from Tehaleh traffic)
    • 2,606* vehicles per peak commuting hour traveling UP and DOWN Military Road
      • Currently 955* vehicles both directions
    • 1,319* vehicles per peak commute hour UP (westbound) Military Road
      • Currently 505* vehicles Up 
    • 1,287** vehicles per peak commute hour DOWN (eastbound) Military Road
      • Currently 450* vehicles Down

 

  • SR162/Military Road Intersection
    • Increase in the number of left turns northbound on SR162
    • Causing further delays to north/south travel times

 

  • Access/Egress to Military Road by surrounding residents
    • Volume will prevent entry from driveways and adjacent residential streets
    • If a roundabout is installed at SR162 same scenrio will result

 

         * 2018 Transportation Discipline Report - figure 4-9

         ** 2017 Tehaleh EBPC Phase 2 SEIS - figure 3-5

 

SOLUTIONS

PIERCE COUNTY HAS DONE A DESIGN STUDY TO INCREASE LANES ON THE MILITARY ROAD CORRIDOR BETWEEN SR162 AND SHAW ROAD.

  • This new design will greatly improve the corridor capability to move the projected volumes of traffic  expected from the new Tehaleh highway.  It will also allow for safer access and egress for residents in adjacent developments.
  • See County Military Road improvement design HERE

 

MILITARY ROAD IMPROVEMENTS MUST BE MADE BY THE TIME THE NEW TEHALEH HIGHWAY IS OPEN

  • According to the Rhodes Lake Road Corridor Study recommendation this would be the case
  • Military Road improvements can be done in phases matching the increases in traffic from Tehaleh, however, shutting down this corridor to widen it would be much more difficult after the Tehaleh highway is operational
  • The County needs to create an additional east/west corridor for Tehaleh traffic to ease the pressure on the Military Road Corridor (even with proposed corridor improvements)

 

NEW EAST-WEST CORRIDOR CONSIDERED TO SHARE TEHALEH TRAFFIC TO SOUTH HILL

  • Extension of 128th St E from SR162 (McMillin) to the 122nd Ave E on Puyallup South Hill
  • Provides direct route for Tehaleh plateau east-west travels to South Hill
  • New corridor created extending 128th St E west of SR162 scaling up hillside
  • Reduces east-west Tehaleh traffic from Military Road
  • Provides an east/west route to SR161 businesses

  • SEE MAP

 

WHAT CAN WE DO?

  • ENCOURAGE PIERCE COUNTY TO FUND MILITARY ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
    • TIMELINE should be BEFORE the projected Tehaleh volume increases arrive
    • SHOULD  BE COUNTY'S HIGHEST PRIORITY - Tehaleh is largest development in State

 

  • ENCOURAGE PIERCE COUNTY TO PERFORM A STUDY ON THE 128th St EXTENSION TO SOUTH HILL
    • 128th St. E needs to be extended west from SR162 by building a new roadway
    • This new road would scale hillside to 144th St E on the South Hill plateau
    • Corridor would turn right on 144th St E to 122nd Ave E
    • Traffic could travel west to SR161 businesses/north to Shaw Road/South to 200th St E.
    • This divides the impacts on the plateau transportation network from Tehaleh

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