Port contributes $180,000 toward Valley Ave project

The Port of Tacoma Commission approved an agreement to contribute more than $180,000 toward Fife’s 70th Avenue and Valley Avenue improvement project.

The agreement fulfills a prior port financial obligation to contribute a total of $250,000 toward the project. The port has already paid more than $69,000 toward the project in 1998, when it was still under Pierce County’s jurisdiction.

Although most of the project area was located in unincorporated Pierce County when planning began, the city of Fife annexed the property and subsequently took over as the lead for the project.

The project is broken into two phases: the widening of Valley Avenue East from 70th Avenue East to Freeman Road and segments of 70th from north of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) to approximately 1,000 feet north of Valley Avenue East. This phase is fully funded and has been under construction since 2008. It consists of widening Valley Avenue East from 70th Avenue East to Freeman Road East and segments of 70th Avenue East from north of the UPRR to approximately 1,000 feet north of Valley Avenue East.  

When the project is fully completed, Valley Avenue East will be widened to four lanes to include bicycles lanes, curb and gutter, a planting strip and sidewalks. Segments of 70th Avenue East will be widened to five lanes to include bicycle lanes, curb and gutter, a planting strip and sidewalks. The intersections of 70th Avenue East/Valley Avenue East and Valley Avenue East/Freeman Road East will have traffic signals. New sanitary sewer and water systems will be installed and existing above ground utilities will be relocated underground.  

The second phase is a future grade separated crossing that would allow traffic traveling on 70th Avenue to cross over the UPRR tracks.

Commissioners were willing to approve the funding agreement but expressed frustration at the project’s nearly 15-year timeline.

“No wonder why we have so many problems in transportation,” Commissioner Dick Marzano said. “We’re trying to create a project that will allow for faster moving freight. There needs to be something in place to better handle these things. We shouldn’t have to wait 15 years for things to be done.”

Commissioner Connie Bacon, who was in attendance via teleconferencing, agreed with Marzano’s assessment.

“Fifteen years is incredible when you look at what some countries are able to accomplish in a year or so,” Bacon said.

Fife Public Works Director Russ Blount defended the city and the project’s timeline, explaining that it took time to acquire enough funding for the project.

“We have been working very hard since we transferred the project from the county,” Blount told commissioners.

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