Detour impacting drivers in Point Defiance Park starts in June
Point Defiance Park
Detours are expected to be in place in June. In the meantime, park visitors may encounter rolling closures of various roads around the zoo as the contractor works on construction staging.
A section of Five Mile Drive may be closed for about a year to create a paved trail separating vehicles from pedestrians and cyclists
Visitors to Point Defiance Park may soon notice a change in how they reach destinations within the popular urban park.
On Tuesday May 27, Global Contractors will begin work on the second phase of Loop Trail, which will include closure of a short stretch of the park’s roadway throughout the year-long project construction.
All park destinations will remain open.
Drivers wanting to access the Lodge, Pagoda, gardens and marina will use the Pearl Street entrance. Those wanting to visit Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Owen Beach, Fort Nisqually and the Outer Loop of Five Mile Drive will use the Mildred Street entrance.
Detour signage will be posted to help guide those who are unfamiliar with this secondary entry/exit point of the park.
Pedestrians and cyclists can continue to access all park destinations from the Pearl Street entrance and Wilson Way pedestrian bridge using a non-paved detour that connects Loop Trail Phase 1 improvements to Five Mile Drive.
Loop Trail stems from community priorities identified during the 2015 master plan update for the park and will address key safety and accessibility needs.
“Providing for the separation of vehicular and non-motorized travel within Point Defiance Park was a common theme we heard in nearly every workshop and community engagement meeting that informed the park’s master plan update,” said President Andrea Smith, who has served on the Park Board since 2011. “It will be exciting to see this vision come to life in the year ahead. These improvements are a game-changer for the 3 million or so visitors who experience this cherished park each year.”
The second phase of Loop Trail will bring the total to 1.6 miles of paved trail connecting Wilson Way Bridge, the Pagoda, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Environmental Learning Center and Owen Beach.
The first phase was completed in 2023.
This phase is estimated to cost $5.3 million. Funding includes a $3.25 million grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, with the remainder coming from the 2014 voter-approved bond.
For more details on Loop Trail, please visit the project page or read the April 1 press release. Directions to various park destinations can be found here.
# # #
Media Contact:
Stacia Glenn, Public Information Officer
[email protected], (253) 345-0948
