Why no detours?
We are asked why we have no detour routes posted for the Yelm Highway project. At the beginning of the project, we considered posting “official” detours, but there were many issues with this.
The first issue is that there are so many properties that only have access off Yelm Highway, we couldn’t close the road, as they would have no other access. There are also businesses that have access only off of Yelm Highway, and we wanted to make sure they could still get customers to their sites. In preliminary meetings on this project, it was a clear desire from attendees that access be continued.
Another issue is that there is no convenient, relatively short detour route. It really depends upon the origination and destination points of the trip taker, as there are multiple alternative routes that serve one traveler better than another based on where they are coming from and where they are going. That is why we are strongly urging all potential trip takers down Yelm Highway to take a look at their start and end points and take an alternative route that suits their needs the best. One other major roadblock (pardon the pun) was the fact that all adjacent jurisdictions had major projects going on in the area. There was work happening on North St and Log Cabin Rd, and there was a sewer project on Henderson. Pretty much on any given day there was something going on along what would be an otherwise viable detour route. Rather than post routes that we could not control, it was decided to provide advanced notice of the project and hopefully allow people to find other routes on their own. This would also lessen the impact of 20,000 cars a day driving along an official route, thus causing major headaches for other local residents.
Our blog went live in January of 2010, with suggestions to start seeking other possible commute routes and options. Construction officially began on June 15th, 2010. We tried not to underplay the impact on the travelling public. We did not underestimate the inconvenience caused by the project.
It was decided that we would try using the newfangled technology called Social Media to keep you informed of traffic status, and road conditions. Using Twitter and this blog, we have attempted to keep you up to date with daily traffic flows (RED, YELLOW, GREEN, or (Heaven forbid) BLACK), and schedules of upcoming work (as available), and also interesting tidbits and photos about the project.This has been working favorably, insomuch as any first attempt can, and we feel that it has been quite helpful and well received. We have also been experimenting with 2-way communication with the public via Twitter and blog comments, allowing YOU to give us feedback and information to pass on.
So... back to the question of detours.
While we still do not have any officially endorsed detours, our staff is able to make some suggestions if you want to contact us. Please remember, these routes will take you through residential streets with possibly lower speed limits, and we ask that you be watchful and careful as children and pets in these areas are not used to the increased quantities and frequency of traffic.
AND... The Other Things:
Intercity Transit has moved their Yelm Highway Route to Wilderness because they cannot guarantee their schedule. Please see this link for revised route information
Construction Impacts Ahead
Paving - Thursday May 5th
Drivers can expect paving (Shown in Yellow) to take place on Boulevard, just north of the Yelm Hwy intersection, and also to take place on Yelm Highway from the Boulevard intersection past Boulevard Extension. This should patch up a few bumpy areas!
Sewer, Sewer, and More Sewer
The contractor continues to slice its way down the center of Boulevard Rd., and Yelm Highway with its final destination at Rich Road in the near future. See the attached map for approximate impacts to traffic in the next couple of weeks.
Drivers can expect the sewer work and paving down the center of Boulevard and Yelm Highway in these locations to cause significant disruptions to traffic and should seek alternate routes if possible.
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| courtesy of D. Hall |
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