The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will celebrate the elimination of a Pierce County chokepoint and the first new state highway section to be built in more than a decade during a ceremony Weds., Aug. 26. State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond is expected to be joined by several federal, state and local officials Wednesday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony where they will unveil the new highway sign for the first segment of the State Route 704 Cross Base Highway. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. near the intersection of 176th Street South and Eighth Avenue Court South. This first segment — about three quarters of a mile — aims to improve traffic flow at the intersection of SR 7 and SR 704 with dual right-turn lanes from SR 704 to southbound SR 7 and dual left-turn lanes from northbound SR 7 to SR 704. The first federal- and state-funded project — built for about $9.5 million — is part of an estimated $318 million planned six-mile Cross Base Highway that stretches east to west between Fort Lewis and McChord military bases, connecting SR 7 to I-5 in Lakewood. The remaining Cross Base segments will be completed as funding becomes available. Online project information is available at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR704/CrossBase .