Construction Update as of November 1, 2018

On October 30 of this week, some of the pavement was placed on Madison and Gunnison streets. A second layer of pavement will be added within the next week or two. Concrete work will continue for the next four weeks. Excavation for the new roadway section on Monroe Street will began on Monday, November 5. This work will take approximately three weeks before Monroe Street is ready to pave.

Construction of New Streets with Permeable Pavement

The Environmental Services Department received a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology and has partnered with the Public Works Department to replace Monroe Street, Gunnison Street, and Madison Street with new streets. These new streets will be constructed with permeable pavement that will allow the rainwater falling on to the street and soak into the ground. This project is designed to improve water quality from this area entering the Flett Creek Watershed.

New Sanitary Sewer and Water Mains Also Being Replaced

The Environmental Services Department and Tacoma Water Department will also be replacing sanitary sewer mains and the water mains as part of this project. 

Project Location

The road and utility improvement project will affect these streets: Monroe Street from Center Street to South 36th Street, Gunnison Street from Center Street to the dead end, and from Madison Street from Center Street to the dead end.

Project Timeline 

Proposed Roadway Design Once Project is Complete

The proposed permeable roadway will have new pervious pavement surface with concrete curbs and planter strip with newly planted trees on Monrow, Gunnison, and Madison Streets.

Project Description and Background

The Oakland Neighborhood Permeable Pavement Project offers a unique opportunity to convert 18 failed residential streets into green infrastructure using pervious pavement. The project covers 20 city blocks and will fully infiltrate an 18-acre neighborhood.  Flow reduction projects such as this are essential in the Flett Watershed to protect the downstream wetland and creeks while reducing flooding in the watershed.  Tacoma’s Flett Creek Watershed, in which this site is located, has a history of flooding and downstream capacity issues due to a flow restricted receiving wetland waterbody.
 
The proposed design has capacity to infiltrate the road surface plus the surrounding residential area.  A total of 18 acres will be infiltrated by this project thereby reducing surface water runoff and the load of fine particulate matter that enters a sensitive stream corridor called the South Tacoma Channel.
 
Stormwater from these 20 blocks travels 3,000 feet through Tacoma’s storm sewer pipe before it discharges into the wetland.  This project will reduce the contaminant loading to the wetland.  It will also improve base flow, which is significant to the health of this sensitive receiving water.  Overflows from this wetland are then collected and piped to the Flett Holding Basins.

Project Funding

Green infrastructure is the most cost effective solution for this project. The life cycle cost of traditional design methods is estimated at nearly twice the cost. The green stormwater infrastructure project is being funded by a Department of Ecology grant, Surface Water and Waste Water Utilities, the Public Works Streets Initiative, and Tacoma Water. 

Contact Information

Jason Turner, Project Engineer

(253) 502-2131

Email