Interim trail connecting Ruston Way and Point Defiance Park closed

Move made to ensure safety; by late 2017, a permanent trail will be finished

With the start of “Waterfront Phase 1” construction near the Pearl Street entrance in Point Defiance Park, Metro Parks Tacoma managers have closed the interim trail connecting the park to Ruston Way. The closure is to ensure safety now that a contractor has begun prepping the site.

The interim trailed opened in September 2013 as a temporary solution to fulfill the community’s longtime desire to connect Ruston Way with Point Defiance Park – part of a larger vision for a “Dome to Defiance” pedestrian and cycling route. The interim trail converted a former haul route into non-motorized access.

Passage of the 2014 capital improvement bond measure provided the catalyst needed to advance a permanent solution under the umbrella of Waterfront Phase 1, which started this week. The array of projects includes an elevated walkway that will land pedestrians venturing from the waterfront into the heart of the park. Other projects are a City of Tacoma stormwater facility to protect Puget Sound, a new 11-acre park on the peninsula at Point Defiance, and expanded parking. More information about the projects can be found at DestinationPointDefiance.org.

In addition to the capital bond measure, funding is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Asarco settlement, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Fund and Washington State taxpayers.

By late 2017, the permanent connection will be finished, and pedestrians will again have a convenient connection between Ruston Way and Point Defiance Park.