Pierce County announces emergency sewer repair work
Pierce County Planning & Public Works announced this week its sewer bypass installation is expected to begin on and around Bridgeport Way West and Meadow Park Road West this week or early March. The bypass will remain in place until the sewer repair is completed.
Work Locations
The bypass pipe will be installed primarily above ground along Meadow Park Road West and Bridgeport Way West. The bypass will begin on Bridgeport Way West just south of the intersection with Meadow Park Road West and continue along Meadow Park Road West. They are currently considering two bypass options: one option would cross Bridgeport Way West and run along the west edge of Meadow Park Golf Course. The other option would run farther north along the west side of Bridgeport Way West (see map below).
Traffic Impacts
Temporary lane closures are anticipated while prep work is completed on Bridgeport Way West and Meadow Park Road West.
Temporary lane closures will also take place where the bypass pipe will be buried beneath the road. They expect these to occur in the following locations:
- On Bridgeport Way West just south of the intersection with Meadow Park Road West
- On Meadow Park Road West to the west of the Stonegate Apartments main entrance and where the road curves north
- On Meadow Park Road West at the Stonegate Apartments driveway on the west side of that property
- North of the intersection of Meadow Park Road West and Candlewyck Drive, near the pathway to Bridgeport
- Additional locations on Bridgeport Way West – to be determined
Sidewalk closures/detours are also expected. Pierce County will share more details about impacts to travelers as soon as they are available. Please follow posted signs and flaggers to travel safely around the work area.
For more information about the project, please visit www.PierceCountyWa.gov/BridgeportRepair. From this page you can sign up to receive email updates from Pierce County about its project.
Hidden Heroes: Grant Twyman
Grant Twyman is an established leader, organizational manager and community leader.
As a United States Army Officer, Twyman has the honor of serving among the nation’s top 1% at multiple echelons and across varied disciplines.
As the Director of Equity and Community Engagement for the Clover Park School District, he works collaboratively to elevate diverse voices, audit systems and facilitate organizational change so that students and staff flourish.
Twyman also oversees strategy and operations for NEXT Consulting Firm. NEXT is a small business in Pierce County making huge impact in Economic Development, Relationship Management, and Educational Leadership.
Twyman serves on the board of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Pierce County and the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition. He also serves as a school district liaison on the City of Lakewood’s Martin Luther King Jr. volunteer committee.
Twyman specializes in leader development, organizational leadership, equity literacy, racial equity, policy development, community engagement and youth outreach.
The goal of Hidden Heroes is to raise the visibility of Black and African American leaders in our community. Learn more about these heroes by following the city’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Or use this link to sign up using the form at the bottom of the page.
Interested in increased public access to Lakewood’s lakes?
The city’s Parks and Recreation Community Advisory Board is hosting a public meeting March 8, 2025 at the end of Westlake Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to talk to neighbors about developing the street end into a public access point for Lake Steilacoom.
This is an opportunity to share thoughts on the city’s plans to increase public access to the lake. Look for the City of Lakewood pop up tent on site for the meeting. All residents are invited to attend and share their thoughts.
Unable to make it? Or want to learn more about the city’s plans to develop its street ends into access points to public lakes? Email Capital Projects Manager David de la Cruz.
Congratulations Boy Scout Troop 53
Next month Boy Scout Troop 53 celebrates 100 years of service. Founded in March 2025 by a number of prominent Lakewood residents – including Norton Clapp who designed and developed the Lakewood Colonial Center – the troop has remained dedicated to serving Lakewood youth over the years.
Founded on the 12 points of the Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyalty, Helpfulness, Courtesy, Kindness, Obedience, Cheerfulness, Bravery, Cleanliness and Reverence, members of the troop continue to learn leadership and community service skills that they will carry forward their entire lives.
A centennial celebration is planned for Saturday March 15, at 1 p.m. at Thomas Middle School, 11509 Holden Road. It is open to the public and anyone that has ever had anything to do with this remarkable program is invited to join the celebration. For more information contact Carla Richards at [email protected] or 253-318-4645.
Lakewood receives “WellCity” designation
The City of Lakewood was once again named a “WellCity” by the Association of Washington Cities. It joins 122 others that earned the distinction for 2025.
The recognition shows the city’s outstanding commitment to employee health. The rewards of a healthy workplace can be felt across the organization and have a positive impact on the community as well.
- WellCities are great places to work, with quality, sustainable benefits, and a workplace that supports employee well-being.
- A healthy workplace culture leads to happy, healthy, and productive employees, that are fully engaged in serving their communities.
- Reduced costs with decreased sick days, disability, health care claim costs, and workers’ comp claims is a win for everyone.
Drop in for winter wellness programming
Our newest class launches this weekend: March Meditations! Join us for three Sundays in March for this free class indoors at the Pavilion at Fort Steilacoom Park, 9107 Angle Lane SW. Blankets and bolsters are provided, all you need is to bring yourself!
Can’t make it this weekend but want to check out other programming? The following classes allow drop-ins for $12 per class:
- Gentle Yoga, Mondays, 4:45-5:45 p.m.
- Gentle Yoga, Thursdays, 4:45-5:45 p.m.
- Fusion Yoga, Thursdays, 6-7 p.m.
Find class descriptions, registration links and more information about drop-ins online.
Council Corner: What’s on Deck
The Lakewood City Council meets March 3, 2025 at 7 p.m. for a regular meeting in Council Chambers.Tentative agenda items include:
- Proclamation recognizing Red Cross Month
- Youth Council Report
- Authorizing the execution of an agreement with KBH Construction, in the amount of $286,370, for the installation of new park signs
- Authorizing the execution of an interlocal with the Lakewood Water District for the Interlaaken Road project
- Authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with GMP Consultants for City Manager recruitment services
How to attend: Attend in person at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main Street SW. Attend virtually via Zoom (or dial 253-215-8782 and enter meeting ID: 868 7263 2373), or watch live on the city’s YouTube channel.
Police Chief’s Corner
Each week Lakewood Police Chief Patrick D. Smith shares a summary that includes a look at total calls for service the Lakewood Police Department responded to for the prior week. The intent of the summary is to show a snapshot of how the department works to keep the community safe. To see quarterly statistical analysis, visit the Lakewood Police Department crime statistics page on the city website.
Weekly summary Feb. 18-25, 2025
- Calls for Service: 945 (down 5% from prior week)
- Arrests: 65 (up 55% from prior week)
- Violent Crime: 21 (up 11% from prior week)
- Property Crime: 78 (up 24% from prior week)
- Traffic Stops: 154 (down 33% from prior week)
- Collisions (reportable): 22 (up 5% from prior week)
Attend a Neighborhood Association meeting in 2025
Neighborhood associations play a crucial role in fostering community engagement and improving the quality of life in local neighborhoods. Through its Neighborhood Connections program, the City of Lakewood aims to not only better connect the community, but also help residents better understand city processes.
There are currently six Neighborhood Associations in Lakewood. Five meet regularly. The meeting times and locations are listed below. All residents are invited and encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting for their respective neighborhood. Find out more about the Neighborhood Connections Program online.
Meeting schedule:
- Fort Steilacoom Neighborhood Association
- Meets: The third Tuesday of the month
- Location: The Pavilion in Fort Steilacoom Park, 9107 Angle Lane SW
- Springbrook Community Meetings
- Meets: The third Thursday of the month
- Location: Springbrook Connections, 5105 Solberg Dr SW #A
- Tillicum/Woodbrook Neighborhood Association
- Meets: The second Tuesday of the month.
- Location: Tillicum-American Lake Gardens Community Center, 14916 Washington Ave SW.
- Downtown Neighborhood Association
- Meets: Meets the second Wednesday of the month.
- Location: Interim Lakewood Library, 10202 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW
- Lake City Neighborhood Association
- Meets: Every other month. Next meeting is March 13, 2025 at 7 p.m.
- Location: West Pierce Fire & Rescue station, 8517 Washington Blvd. SW
- North Lakewood Neighborhood Association
- No meetings scheduled.
Community events
Lakewood Community Foundation Fund accepting applications
The Lakewood Community Foundation Fund is now accepting applications for grants from the 501c3 organizations located in Lakewood. Total grant funds available for award is approximately $40,000. Applications are due April 11, 2025.
All grants will fulfill the fund’s ideals, as expressed in the Mission and Vision statements:
- Mission: To improve the lives of people in the Lakewood community by encouraging the generosity of donors and by accepting and distributing resources through a permanent endowment.
- Vision: Connecting donors with worthy causes to benefit the Lakewood community.
Applications are available online.
Lakewood Playhouse presents “The Laramie Project”
In honoring the memory and legacy of Matthew Shepard, this production of “The Laramie Project” strives to inspire the community to see themselves in the citizens of Laramie and reflect on their own reaction to recent attacks on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, locally and nationally. With a cast composed of local actors, this production will bring a whole new perspective on the work by putting community at the center of the storytelling and offering space for conversation and reflection. What can we learn about ourselves by examining the words and actions of another community?
The show runs through March 9, 2025, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The “pay what you can” and industry night is this Sunday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Call the Box Office at (253) 588-0042 or visit www.lakewoodplayhouse.org to book tickets online.
Sign up for Lakewood Alert (Code Red)
The City of Lakewood uses Code Red, an alert service, to notify residents of important information happening in the city.
If there is an emergency that requires public notification, we will use Lakewood Alert as one way to communicate. We will also post information to our website and social media channels.
Subscribers can sign up to receive text and email alerts. People can also sign up for important non-emergency updates including information about road impacts from large events in the city or information about special events.
Find out more and sign up today.
Road project updates
Steilacoom Boulevard Weller to 87th Ave: The city’s contractor continues work on the north side of Steilacoom Boulevard by installing new storm system components prior to placing new curb and gutter, sidewalks, and curb ramps. They have started grading for new curb and gutter and sidewalks on the north side. Concrete is expected to start being placed the week of March 10. The electrical subcontractor has begun installing conduits in several locations throughout the project.
Rose Road Sanitary Sewer Project: Work is anticipated to start early March.Segments of Rose, Forest, and Fern will be closed for work. This closure/work will be in place through June 2025.
South Tacoma Way Overlay 96th to Steilacoom Blvd.: Miles Resources is expected to start work the first week of March. This work will be largely completed over a two-week period with minor lane closures during the day. The grinding/paving will be completed over the period of a week in April/May with striping also taking a few nights. A new traffic signal will be erected in late fall.
South Tacoma Way & 92nd signal replacement: Work is expected to begin the first week of March.
South Tacoma Way 88th to north city limits: Work is expected to start late March or early April. Lakewood Water District is currently in this vicinity installing a new water main ahead of the city’s capital improvement project; their work is anticipated to occur Monday to Saturday until they are done with their project in mid-March.
Bridgeport Way – 75th to North City Limits: Pierce County Sewer has an emergency repair starting of its interceptor line along Bridgeport Way through the entire city limits and into University Place. They will start reducing traffic lanes soon. For more information visit Pierce County’s website.
Parks project updates
American Lake Park: Construction continues on the upland retaining walls. The new 16-foot by 20-foot shelter is installed. Completion is anticipated by June.
Wards Lake Park Improvements: Clearing of invasive species throughout the park is underway and restoration of the existing pedestrian bridges has begun. Grading for the new bridge abutments spanning Wards Lake is underway. The 35-acre park will remain closed through November 2025 while the city’s contractor makes major upgrades to this park.
Westlake Avenue Street End Pilot project: The Parks and Recreation Community Advisory Board is hosting a public meeting March 8 at the end of Westlake Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to talk to neighbors about developing the street end into a public access point for Lake Steilacoom. This is an opportunity to share thoughts on the city’s plans to increase public access to the lake. Look for the City of Lakewood pop up tent on site for the meeting.
Chambers Creek Trail. The city partnered with Pierce County and University Place on a project to improve access along Chambers Creek between the City of Lakewood and University Place. Pierce County recently completed the construction of a boardwalk. Pierce County Trails is working on the soft surface portion of this trail. The first section of the trail will open to the public in spring 2025, with the remaining two sections of trail opening throughout the spring and summer as trail crews complete work. The public should expect trail closures during this work.Please be aware of trail signage and stay on the open trails.
Other projects planned for 2025:
- Primley Park playground replacement: A community workday was postponed due to delays in delivery of the new playground equipment.Stay tuned for a new date.
- Oakbrook Park: A new picnic shelter is on order and design is ongoing for a trail inside the park permitter that will be installed before the busy summer season.
- New park signs: Park signs will be replaced this year with updated designs. Expect the signs in place by summer.
- Historic H-Barn revitalization: Grants and community funding continues to come in to support the preservation of the H-barn at Fort Steilacoom Park. Local nonprofit Partners for Parks is working to raise $3.5 million to match a $4 million commitment from the city. Design work will start in early spring to determine building and code needs, as well as cost estimates.
- Harry Todd pickleball courts: Four new pickleball courts will be developed at Harry Todd Park this year. The city has submitted permits for this work. The courts should be available for public use by fall 2025.
- Nisqually Loop Trail Fort Steilacoom Park: In partnership with the Nisqually Tribe the city will install several interpretive exhibits along the Nisqually Loop Trail in the southeast area of the park. The exhibits will be located along a 1-mile trail and include Nisqually art, educational information and Lushootseed language. Construction is anticipated to occur late summer-fall of 2025.