JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – The first phase of road improvement construction at the D Street Gate on JBLM Lewis-North will begin next week. The second phase of construction which will include the temporary closure of the D Street Gate is scheduled to begin Feb. 7.
The purpose of the D Street Gate construction is to add an outbound traffic lane, and to correct road alignment. Currently, JBLM has one inbound lane and one outbound lane at the Lewis-North D Street Gate. The single outbound lane is not sufficient to handle the volume of traffic leaving the installation at the end of the work day. This project will provide for two out-bound lanes of traffic.
· The right lane will be a right-turn-only for traffic exiting the installation going to Lakewood.
· The left lane will be straight-only for traffic exiting the base going to DuPont-Steilacoom Road.
Secondly, East Drive, which is the road that runs from DuPont-Steilacoom Road to the gate, does not align properly with the D Street Gate entrance. The construction will align the two roadways, and once complete, should reduce the wait times for outbound traffic during the late afternoon rush hour.
D Street Gate will remain open for some of the construction. However, during the second phase of the construction D Street Gate will be closed and traffic will be rerouted to another base access point nearby.
JBLM Public Works officials plan to keep traffic congestion minimized during the road construction, but Lewis-North commuters may still experience delays, especially while traffic is detoured to the alternate base access point.
Construction should be completed in April.
Jim Hills says
Adding another lane outbound at the D street gate, does not do a thing for the congestion further down the road at the DuPont Steilacoom road. The real problem is caused by the additional number of personnel on Ft Lewis.
Ft. Lewis cannot keep adding personnel without taking responsibility for the infrastructure problems which their numbers cause off the post.
The bases keep pointing out that there numbers (personnel) “add a big payroll to the area” Their personnel numbers add huge numbers to the off post infrastructure problems. Not just at the DuPont Steilacoom road but at all exits off the bases along Interstate five.
Jim H.
Bev Bills says
It would make more sense to readers to know location of these changes
by naming civilian streets and areas affected. Not everyone knows where
“D” street is located….DuPont exit? Main Ft. Lewis Exit? Madigan? Perhaps
use Freeway Exit numbers?
Ben Sclair says
Hello Bev. Sorry, this is the gate on the west side of the post that opens onto East Drive which leads to the Steilacoom-DuPont Highway. Hope that makes more sense for you.
Brian says
I agree with Jim. There are much bigger problems with the traffic, roads, and personnel around Ft Lewis. The intersction he mentioned is very dangerous, when approaching from either direction. And the driving habits of Ft Lewis soldiers are terrible. Many of them are passing and cutting off vehicles on Dupont Steilacoom Road as well as other roads around the area. Not to mention their speeding thru Steilaccom, Lakewood, University Place, and on I 5.
Brian