Community Transportation

Intersection of 38th and 56th to close Oct. 17 and 18

The busy intersection of 38th Avenue and 56th Street will close between 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, as contractors install a sewer line. 

The 36-hour closure is part of the city of Gig Harbor’s $12 million revamp of 38th Avenue, which will include a roundabout at 38th and 56th when work wraps up next year. This particular closure isn’t for roundabout construction, however. 

The intersection of 38th Avenue and 56th Street will close between 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Photo by Vince Dice

Why the intersection needs to close

The city did not anticipate needing to fully close 38th Avenue during the project. But crews  discovered that an existing sewer line is about 6 inches lower than records indicated.

It’s complicated, “but at this depth and location, it changes how the sewer line needs to be installed,” according to a city news release. “The line must be reconfigured, and the work will affect the existing system running beneath the intersection.” 

Contractors need to dig a 25-foot-deep trench, remove traffic signal lines and work around buried utilities. 

Crews will bring in two large excavators with associated dump trucks, remove the existing traffic signal lines on the north side of the intersection, and excavate the trench through the intersection. Numerous underground utilities require coordination, structural support and monitoring.

The city and its contractor concluded that the safest and quickest way to get the installation done is to close the entire intersection for a weekend.

38th Avenue was closed near 62nd Street for ongoing utility work on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Photo by Vince Dice

“The goal of this two-day closure is to give crews the safest possible conditions to complete a complicated portion of the sewer installation while minimizing the chance of a larger, unplanned failure,” the news release said.

No overnight work

Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Working overnight was rejected due to concerns over safety and noise in surrounding neighborhoods.

The city timed the closure to avoid complicating commutes for area residents who work or attend school. 

City of Gig Harbor graphic

One potential complication: Indivisible Gig Harbor is staging a No Kings rally from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the intersection of Point Fosdick and Olympic. That’s only about a mile from the closed intersection. 

Previous No Kings rallies have drawn thousands of people to protest and wave signs.

Signed detours will direct traffic around the project zone. Local residents will be able to access their homes, despite the intersection closure.

Utility lines in a ditch along 38th Avenue. Photo by Vince Dice