$24.5 million project is under way on Fones Road. Here’s what drivers, residents can expect
Slowdowns in traffic have begun on Olympia’s east side as construction crews take on one of the city’s largest and most complex road projects to date.
Project Manager Jim Rioux said the Fones Road Corridor project is meant to create a safer street for more modes of transportation, in an area that sees about 16,000 vehicle trips a day.
Rioux said right now bicycle and pedestrian access on Fones Road is really inadequate, and he believes the upcoming improvements will transform the road into one that works for everyone.
City spokesperson Carrie McCausland said the Fones Road Corridor project is one of the largest and most complex road projects ever taken on by the city, at an estimated construction cost of $24.5 million.
According to the city’s website, the city has received more than $11M in grants from funding partners at the Federal Highway Administration and the Transportation Improvement Board.
Improvements include construction of a roundabout in front of the Home Depot on Fones Road, sidewalks, bike lanes, trail crossings and more.
Rioux said crews are working on tree and vegetation removal now, but folks won’t be seeing too much construction over the holiday season. Come the new year, people should expect slowdowns in traffic and temporary lane closures while crews are working.
“The volumes on Fones Road are so high all the time that that’s going to result in very quick backups,” Rioux said. “What we’re doing is limiting those lane closures to really just about five minutes, and then getting people moving again.”
He said this is what people are going to be experiencing for the duration of the project, which is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2026.
Rioux said there are a number of reasons Fones Road is such a high traffic area. He said the north end of the road carries a lot of traffic because two of the city’s most important industrial facilities, Crown Beverage Packaging and Georgia-Pacific Corp., are located just south of the Woodland Trail, which is just south of where Fones Road meets Pacific Avenue.
“Pacific Avenue itself is a very busy corridor for the city, and a lot of traffic is directed onto Fones, because Fones becomes one of the better routes to travel from the Lacey area and the commercial district, along Pacific Avenue to east Olympia,” he said.
Rioux said if you’re trying to get from Yelm Highway into either downtown Olympia or Lacey, Fones Road becomes one of your best options under normal traffic conditions.
He said industrial traffic, combined with commuters who live in the area and regional commuters, makes for a busy road.
McCausland said there are 5,000 people who live within a half mile of Fones Road. And the 16,000 vehicle trips per day is expected to grow to 19,500 by 2040.
Upcoming improvements
Rioux said there are two major components to the project. The first one is at the north end, around the Woodland Trail.
He said where the trail crosses Fones Road has become a source of significant safety concerns. He said crews will be improving that crossing by installing a raised pedestrian crossing, which will hopefully lead to slower traffic for people to cross.
Rioux said there will also be a pedestrian refuge island in the middle of the roadway at that crossing.
The other component is the roundabout in front of the south entrance of Home Depot. Called a compact roundabout, Rioux said it will have traffic calming influences.
He said this project involves a lot of underground work as well. Crews will be improving the underground stormwater management system, the drinking water system and communications and power systems.
There will also be sidewalks throughout the corridor, separated bike lanes, landscaping and new lighting.
The city’s project website includes an interactive map that shows what and where improvements will be made.
A standout project
Rioux said he’s been involved in a number of roundabout projects, and this one really stands out. He said a lot of the complexity is related to trying to accomplish the project while maintaining normal function of the road so businesses in the area are still accessible.
Another prong of the complexity is all the underground systems below Fones Road. Rioux said the road is a great corridor for underground utilities and water.
“So underneath that road, I guess the best way to say it is there’s just a lot of pipe carrying water and a lot of cables carrying communication and power,” he said. “There’s also a significant gas main that runs down the road. So all of this adds to the complexity of getting this all done within a reasonable time frame and cost.”
He said the addition of separated bike lanes is a first for the city. Instead of the normal painted strip on pavement, bike lanes will be separated from the road by a planter strip and a curb.
This story was originally published December 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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