$18.9M project to close busy Pierce County thoroughfare. Here’s why and for how long

Several sections of Spanaway Loop Road South will be closed in the coming weeks to replace an aging sewer system in the Parkland/Spanaway area, Pierce County says.

Here’s what will be closed:

• 116th Street South near Spanaway Loop Road South starting Monday through Aug. 10.

• Spanaway Loop Road South between 116th Street South and Garfield Street South starting Aug. 12 through late October.

• Spanaway Loop Road South between Garfield Street South and Military Road South for repaving in August.

• Garfield Street South between Spanaway Loop Road South and Ainsworth Avenue starting in late October through late December. Ainsworth Avenue at Garfield Street South will also be closed for approximately two weeks in mid-to-late December.

Detour signs will direct drivers to alternative routes.

There will be resurfacing work done between Military Road South and 120th Street South, and existing curb ramps will be updated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, Pierce County said in a news release Tuesday.

Corroded sewer system needs replacement

The closure of Spanaway Loop starting in August is necessary to replace an aging sewer pipeline with new, larger pipes, the county said in an email.

The existing pipeline is corroding and nearing the end of its lifespan, according to Pierce County Planning and Public Works. It is expected to reach capacity in 2028 based on its size and increasing demands on its capacity, and a new larger pipeline will serve Pierce County for decades to come, the county said.

This major sewer line, part of the Parkland/Brookdale Interceptor, is one of the largest sanitary sewer pipelines in the Pierce County network. It carries wastewater from large areas of East Pierce County to the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in University Place. This project is the fourth of six phases to increase the capacity and extend the life of the Parkland/Brookdale Interceptor.

The Parkland/Brookdale Interceptor Phase 4 project is budgeted for $18.9 million. It is funded by Sewer Utility Construction Funds, which are composed of sewer connection charges and monthly sewer service charges, Jenny Burger, a public information specialist with the Pierce County Planning and Public Works department, told The News Tribune in May.