Major Lake City Detour Change to Occur on Valentine’s Day.

We have some good news, some bad news, and some great news pertaining to road construction around Gravelly Lake.

The good news? On Monday Feb. 14, Gravelly Lake Drive and the new Veterans/Gravelly Lake roundabout will open to through traffic.

** Monday, February 14 is Valentine’s Day…**

The bad news? That same day, Washington Boulevard will close between Lake City Boulevard and Gravelly Lake Drive. This phase of work is expected to be completed by early summer.

RED = CLOSURE
YELLOW = LOCAL ACCESS
GREEN = DETOUR ROUTES

The great news? The JBLM North Access project is progressing on schedule and delivering improvements. Sidewalks and bike lanes will improve non-motorized access. New crossings will improve safety. New medians on Washington Boulevard will feature trees and streetlights. New roundabouts will reduce delays and accidents, and improve pedestrian friendliness.

Sign up for email updates on the project here.

Overhead map of the proposed improvements along the Washington Boulevard corridor
Full map of JBLM North Access Project

Questions & Answers

When will the bumps leading onto the Gravelly/Nyanza roundabout be fixed?

The “top lift” of pavement on Gravelly Lake Drive must wait for sustained warmer weather above 45 degrees at night. We will have to wait a little longer to complete paving, but those bumps will be fixed soon.

When will this phase be done, and what phase comes afterward?

This phase should conclude by early summer. Subsequent phases will improve sections of Washington Boulevard. The final stretch will be Edgewood Avenue and North Gate Road near the hospital entrance.

Why is the City adopting roundabouts instead of traffic lights?

Roundabouts dramatically reduce dangerous collisions. Of course, there remains the potential for fender-benders, but these occur at such reduced speeds that injury accidents fall by an order of magnitude.

Roundabouts also reduce idling and emissions, improving local air quality. They also permit greater traffic flow and efficient travel.

Will Langlow/Walnut/Pine be repaved to repair damage from heavy use during the detour?

Yes, that area is scheduled to be repaired on Friday, Feb. 4 (or soon after that date).