Lakewood council reviews Mount Tacoma Drive rebuild; staff and council weigh roundabout, safety and property impacts
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Summary
Council discussed a multi‑block reconstruction of Mount Tacoma Drive on Jan. 12, reviewing alignment, tree impacts, sidewalk and lighting standards, collision data and a proposed roundabout. Staff estimated the roundabout could add $350,000–$400,000 in right‑of‑way costs and asked to continue property owner outreach.
City staff led a detailed review of the Mount Tacoma Drive reconstruction project (Interlochen Drive to Whitman) at the Jan. 12 Lakewood City Council study session, seeking council feedback on alignment, pedestrian improvements, roundabout alternatives and construction tradeoffs.
Troy Pokzwinski, capital projects division manager, showed a westward realignment at a sharp curve designed to center the roadway and meet AASHTO design standards while attempting to preserve mature trees largely located on the south side of the street. He cautioned that the realignment would require removal of extensive vegetative hedges in some segments and noted two large sheds near Maple that currently lie in the right‑of‑way and likely will need to be relocated.
On safety treatments at the Meadow intersection, staff presented alternatives including a roundabout, a flashing 4‑way stop and additional traffic‑calming measures. Pokzwinski said collision history for the intersection over the past five years shows 11 collisions with three minor injuries and no fatalities. He told the council that the project team sees no strong technical warrant for a roundabout but that roundabouts can provide long‑term safety and speed‑reduction benefits.
On costs, Pokzwinski said the incremental construction cost for a roundabout is in the $150,000–$175,000 range but that the larger cost driver is right‑of‑way acquisition. "We estimate in between 350 and $400,000 for the cost of putting a roundabout there," he said, adding that the city would begin conversations with affected property owners and continue design work.
Council members pressed on alternatives and local impacts: several members supported a roundabout as a long‑term safety improvement while acknowledging significant property and cost tradeoffs. Concerns included potential devaluation of adjacent property, driveway reconfiguration, loss of parking for a commercial parcel at Lexington, and impacts to a duplex carport. Council asked staff to continue owner outreach, refine turning templates and report back with alternatives that could reduce right‑of‑way needs (for example, narrower sidewalks or different roundabout geometry), while maintaining accessible pedestrian facilities.
Staff also highlighted design details: they recommended 8‑foot sidewalks on both sides to accommodate pedestrians and motorized scooters and reported dramatic increases in concrete light‑pole costs compared with aluminum options (examples cited by staff: concrete poles previously estimated ~$2,000 more per pole, now up to $5,500 more, which could increase material cost by roughly $204,000 for some projects).
Next steps: council gave direction to refine roundabout sizing and costs, continue property‑owner discussions and return with updated designs and a clearer cost/benefit comparison; staff indicated construction could still be feasible in late‑2026 if design and rights‑of‑way are resolved.
Quoted in this article: Pokzwinski summarized the right‑of‑way cost estimate for the roundabout as "We estimate in between 350 and $400,000 for the cost of putting a roundabout there." Council members asked staff to explore lower‑impact design alternatives and to pursue additional outreach with property owners.
