This East Pierce County city got $903,000 to make its roads safer. Here’s the plan

Angelica Relente
Pierce County/Courtesy

Curve warning signs and guardrails are among the things that could be installed on some Sumner highways to reduce the chance of traffic accidents.

The Sumner City Council unanimously agreed last month to accept a $903,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program to use preventive measures to increase safety on public roads.

The preventive measures include speed feedback signs, rumble strips, road striping, reflective markers and street lighting on curved roads throughout the city.

The locations that may receive improvements are the following:

  • East Valley Highway East from Elm Street East to the northern city limits

  • The entirety of West Valley Highway East within city limits

  • The entirety of Sumner Tapps Highway East and 166th Avenue East within city limits

  • 142nd Avenue East and 24th Street East from Puyallup Street to state Route 167

“These are some of our potential problem areas,” city engineer Michael Kosa told The News Tribune Dec. 1.

Kosa said there have been times when vehicles have run off some of those roads due to their “significant curves.” He said that the city has yet to decide which areas should get specific preventive measures.

The grant will cover the design and construction of the project. City funds will not be used. The design phase is expected to occur in 2023. The city hopes to begin construction the following year.

This year marks the second time the city received funds from WSDOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. Last year, the city used a $500,000 grant to replace old guardrails on Sumner Tapps Highway East.

Advertisement