Washington State Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond July 30 led officials from Washington D.C., Pierce County, and local businesses in breaking ground for Project 1 of the SR 704 Cross Base Highway.

Pierce County officials included Councilmembers Roger Bush, Shawn Bunney and Barbara Gelman and Public Works and Utilities Director Brian Ziegler, as well as District Two state Reps. Jim McCune and Tom Campbell and state Sen. Marilyn Rassmusson.

Project 1 will widen a .7-mile stretch of Spanaway Loop Road to five lanes and add dual left-turn lanes onto Spanaway Loop Road and dual right turn lanes onto SR 7. When the SR 704 Cross Bass Highway is complete, it will stretch east to west between Fort Lewis and McChord military bases and connect SR 7 to I-5.