City of Gig Harbor
56th Street Roundabout
38th Ave
TIB Award Amount
$1,644,460
Region: Puget Sound   |   Legislative District: 26   |   Length: 0.09 mi. FY 2026 Urban Arterial Program (UAP)

Existing Conditions

38th Ave/56th St. is a high volume signalized intersection that connects a critical commuter route from unincorporated Pierce County to the City of Gig Harbors commercial district, uptown COLI, and the Olympic Dr./Pt. Fosdick/SR-16 Interchange. The city is currently designing improvements that will extend from 38th/Hunt St. through the 38th/56th intersection. The proposed improvements required upgrading the ADA features to the signal. This leads to consideration of a roundabout as a near-term and long range solution. We did not want to reconstruct a signal, only to replace it with a roundabout to address capacity issues in the future. Therefore, the city hired a consultant to analyze the vehicular LOS and compared a signal to a RAB in the concurrency year and long-range year. The attached TIA demonstrated a diminishing LOS should the intersection remain signalized. With a signal, the LOS in the long-range year is predicted to be failing and not meet LOS standards. The existing signal does not have current APS pedestrian features. Two quadrants of the intersection have non-compliant ADA ramps and two have no ADA ramps. This is a high visibility location and is one of the primary gateways into the city from unincorporated Pierce County. Currently vehicles maintain higher than posted speeds when entering city limits, traveling eastbound from PC. Accidents have been reported at this intersection as indicated in the attached history. Signal maintenance is an ongoing cost.

Project Funding

  TIB Funds Local Funds Total Costs
Design 0 0 0
Right of Way 162,180 108,120 270,300
Construction 1,482,280 988,186 2,470,466
Project Totals $1,644,460 $1,096,306 $2,740,766

Local Match

TIB Participation Local Match Minimum Local Match
60.0% 40.0% 20%

Summary of Improvements

  • Improves safety;
  • Relieves congestion;
  • Removes ADA barriers

Description of Improvements

This project constructs a roundabout instead of retrofitting a signal at this location. The roundabout will also improve safety, mobility, and the physical condition with pedestrian facilities and low-speed entry and exit legs. The design will install RRFB crosswalks on all legs of the intersection to enhance pedestrian safety. Shared use path or widened sidewalks will be used for the project to give cyclists an alternative should they not feel safe taking a lane to navigate the roundabout. The roundabout will bring the entire intersection into compliance with current ADA standards, consistent with the citys ADA transition plan. Geometry of the roundabout has been designed to prioritize slow entry, exit, and circulating speeds while concurrently maximizing vehicular efficiency.