The City of Tacoma’s D Street Overpass project, located on D Street between Puyallup Avenue and Dock Street, is starting to take its final shape, and is 85 percent complete.
According to the City of Tacoma, the 14 support columns are in place with the bridge deck on top. Half of the soil earth walls have been constructed to meet the elevation of the bridge deck and the roadway surface is beginning to be placed on the southern approach from Puyallup Avenue. Streetscape improvements have occurred along Puyallup Avenue, including new curbs, utilities, asphalt, sidewalks and trees.
As for artistic components, the City’s contractor, MidMountain Construction, is currently creating 26 traffic barriers for the overpass that will be cast in the shape of tugboats to pay homage to the Thea Foss Waterway. Three overlooks will also be constructed and will include four interpretive panels that describe the history, geography and cultural richness of this area.
For the remaining months of this project, the contractor will work to open the first half of the overpass, two lanes of traffic going north and south, by the end of December or January. Once that has occurred, the contractor will begin final construction of the second half of the overpass, two more lanes, which will lead the project to completion.
Although it’s an ever-moving target due to weather, the City is hoping to complete this project by March of 2008.
In the meantime, to get to businesses along D and Dock streets, from Puyallup Avenue, take A Street, which connects to Dock and D streets. The 15th Street Bridge also connects to Dock, then D Street.
For more information about this project, and to view images of the construction in progress, visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/dstreet .