Thousands of vehicles use this busy road. A Pierce County city has plans to improve it

Angelica Relente
·2 min read

Edgewood might be a step closer to improving a portion of one of its busiest roads.

City Council is expected to vote Tuesday, Sept. 10, if the Meridian Corridor Study should be adopted. The study examines and outlines recommendations for Meridian Avenue East from 24th Street East to the southern city limits at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing.

The 7 p.m. City Council meeting will take place at 224 104th Ave. E. Those who want to watch online can go to cityofedgewood-org.zoom.us/j/86916509308.

The city of Edgewood’s Meridian Corridor Study examines and outlines recommendations for Meridian Avenue East from 24th Street East to the southern City limits at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. Courtesy of the city of Edgewood
The city of Edgewood’s Meridian Corridor Study examines and outlines recommendations for Meridian Avenue East from 24th Street East to the southern City limits at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. Courtesy of the city of Edgewood

A vote to adopt the study does not mean construction will begin soon. Community Development director Jeremy Metzler told The News Tribune that the city would need to secure funding for the project before breaking ground.

“This action is about laying the foundation for the council, the mayor and staff to pursue funding opportunities and go forward with any design efforts,” Metzler said.

The purpose of the study is to “assess multimodal access, safety and environmental needs” along Meridian Avenue East, according to the city’s website. The city initiated the project around September 2022.

If approved, the plan is to have five lanes from 24th Street East to 36th Street East – two lanes going in each direction with a center turn or median lane. The plan includes shared-use pathways on both sides.

From 36th Street East to the Union Pacific Railroad crossing, the plan is to have one lane going downhill and two lanes uphill. A shared-use path would go along the uphill side.

The city of Edgewood’s Meridian Corridor Study examines and outlines recommendations for Meridian Avenue East from 24th Street East to the southern City limits at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. Courtesy of the city of Edgewood
The city of Edgewood’s Meridian Corridor Study examines and outlines recommendations for Meridian Avenue East from 24th Street East to the southern City limits at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. Courtesy of the city of Edgewood

The city estimates the cost to complete the project at about $124.7 million.

Metzler said that part of Meridian Avenue East has been the same for several decades. The “winding” part, starting from 36th Street East, has a lot of steep slopes and constraints, he said.

Meridian Avenue East sees more than 20,000 trips per day, Metzler said. Many commuters use it to cut through Edgewood to avoid congestion on state Route 167.

Sign Up: East Pierce Pulse

Know what’s happening in Puyallup, South Hill, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Orting, Buckley and beyond. Get the latest news from the cities, towns and rural communities of East Pierce County. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Tuesday.

Latest Stories