University Place residents may find traffic moving even more smoothly along Bridgeport Way between 35th and 40th Streets this fall as University Place continues to fill out its transportation grid in the Town Center area.

“East Road,” technically 74th Avenue West, will be extended from its current terminus behind City Hall to 40th Street West, connecting just behind the Albertson’s grocery store. A new roundabout will be added on the 40th Street end to help control vehicle speeds. The road will be designed for a 25 mph speed limit and will feature a curvilinear alignment as a traffic calming measure.

The road will consist of two 12-foot lanes and a 6-foot wide sidewalk on the east side with a 10-foot wide sidewalk on the west side. The road will provide an important alternate route for police and firefighters to reach the south end of the city if Bridgeport Way West is blocked by an accident or for some other reason. The new road may also help reduce response times to emergency calls throughout the city, police and fire officials said.