Traffic safety and road projects in Thurston County

These recent articles about road work and transportation projects in Thurston County highlight traffic safety and infrastructure improvements.

One article is about a Lacey roundabout that sees frequent accidents, and another examines a tractor's mysterious appearance and disappearance in a Grand Mound roundabout.

Another article highlights one of deadliest roads in the state. Meanwhile, a project at Capitol Way and Capitol Boulevard is aimed at enhancing bike and pedestrian pathways.

A view of Capitol Way South from the pedestrian bridge near the Washington state Capitol Campus. By Steve Bloom

NO. 1: MAJOR PROJECT COMING TO CAPITOL WAY AND CAPITOL BOULEVARD. HERE’S THE PLAN

Olympia has a longtime plan to reconfigure the lanes on Capitol Way to Capitol Boulevard, from near the Capitol Campus to Tumwater. | Published October 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ty Vinson

NO. 2: THE OLYMPIA AREA HAS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST STRETCHES OF ROAD IN WASHINGTON

The Olympia area has one of the deadliest 10-mile stretches of highway in Washington, according to a new report. | Published October 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Sara Schilling

A resident has cited public records and news about roundabout removals, calling on Lacey to fix the busy Marvin Road/Willamette Drive circle amid reports of increasing accident reports.. By Steve Bloom

NO. 3: IS THIS LACEY ROUNDABOUT UNSAFE? RESIDENT CITES DATA, RAISES CONCERNS

Hawks Prairie resident Larry Taylor is deeply concerned about a roundabout in Lacey where Marvin Road Northeast meets Britton Parkway and Willamette Drive. | Published October 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Rolf Boone

Someone placed a weathered John Deere tractor and rake in the middle of a roundabout at State Route 12 and Sargent Road Southwest in Grand Mound in late October. The unsanctioned centerpiece mysteriously disappeared by Oct. 30 after the Washington State Department of Transportation threatened to remove it. WSDOT reports it didn’t move the tractor. By Steve Bloom

NO. 4: ‘A LOVELY MYSTERY.’ UNSANCTIONED TRACTOR APPEARS, THEN DISAPPEARS AT GRAND MOUND ROUNDABOUT

A weathered tractor and rake appeared in the middle of a Grand Mound roundabout in late October. | Published November 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Martín Bilbao

A pedestrian walks past the Eagles Building on the southeast corner of 4th Avenue and Plum Street in downtown Olympia on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. By Martín Bilbao

NO. 5: TRAFFIC CONGESTION EXPECTED AT THIS DOWNTOWN OLYMPIA INTERSECTION SOON. HERE’S WHY

Work crews plan to demolish a sidewalk at Fourth Avenue and Plum Street in Olympia this week to make way for major safety improvements. | Published November 30, 2025 | Read Full Story by Martín Bilbao

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.