Politics & Government

Camp Murray Gate: Would Shifting the Main Entrance To Portland Avenue Work?

A pair of public meetings is scheduled today to discuss the proposal. The Lakewood City Council hasn't given an opinion and won't until it gets more information.

In hopes to solve the traffic puzzle outside Camp Murray's gate in the Tillicum neighborhood of Lakewood, the National Guard is proposing paying $1.2 million in road improvements and moving the main entrance farther south along Interstate 5.

Nothing is official, but city leaders are considering it, based on the Lakewood City Council meeting.

The city halted traffic at the current main entrance at the intersection of Berkeley Street and Union Avenue in Tillicum because of traffic congestion.

Find out what's happening in University Placewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Depending on the time of day, the Camp Murray entrance turns into a funnel as drivers from Lakewood, University Place, Tacoma and other areas to the north crawl in and out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord's National Guard neighbor.

Assistant City Manager Dave Bugher said the Portland Avenue exit could bring significant traffic improvements to the neighborhood, especially when coupled with the National Guard's offer to pay for road work, according to a news story published by The Tacoma News Tribune.

Find out what's happening in University Placewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We didn’t see the benefit (last year),” Bugher said in the TNT article. “We feel like this will work better for Tillicum in the long term.”

The National Guard estimated it would cost $4.7 million to relocate to relocate the entrance. Plans are still in development. The soonest the National Guard could get a permit is six months after an environmental analysis, which itself can turn into a lengthy process.

Two public meetings are scheduled today to discuss the project. The first is at 4:30 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St. S.W. and the next is a neighborhood meeting at 7 p.m. at the Tillicum Community Center, 14916 Washington Avenue. S.W.

While it seems that Camp Murray wants Portland, Lakewood City Councilman Walter Neary said he needs more information, starting with a map that outlines how traffic traffic coming and going through the gate will affect the surrounding Tillicum community.

"If I was the (Tillicum) community, I'd listen but I don't blame anyone for coming into this pretty skeptical," Neary said about shifting military traffic to Portland Avenue.

"Everyone is waiting to see what the advisory groups and neighborhood think of it."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from University Place