Orting Benefits From New South Plateau Corridor
“South Plateau Connection: An Orting Solution”
What Is The South Plateau Connection?
The South Plateau Connection was proposed by the Puyallup Valley Preservation Group to the Pierce County Council who authorized it to be a part of the Rhodes Lake Road Corridor Study. The County Transportation Planners believe there is a great upcoming need for an east-west corridor
connecting the State’s largest residential/commercial development area (Bonney Lake Plateau) with points west.
The South Plateau Connection is the only option that creates a true east-west corridor that connects to the proposed State Highway 704 as part of a complete SE Pierce County transportation network. The upcoming dense population centers will not provide enough employment opportunities within
their region. Industrial and commercial growth in Frederickson and west will be providing future employment centers.
How Would It Benefit The Town of Orting?
Recently the Engfer farm, which is inside of the Orting city limits, was sold and zoned for development. As a working farm, no one even looked in that direction as a possible corridor for the South Plateau Connection. The area is now zoned as a mixed multi-family dwellings and business
district. An elevated, limited access, highway could cross and access this area, SR162, and the town of Orting. This would provide a permanent by-pass for commuters now traveling through the town of Orting to destinations beyond.
It would also provide a limited access, east-west corridor, to and from the Bonney Lake Plateau (largest residential/commercial development in Washington State). This would satisfy the future east-west demand for commutes to future employment centers in Frederickson, Spanaway, and Dupont.
Without the South Plateau Connection, plateau commute traffic would flow through the streets of Orting, along with the SR162 traffic that the city experiences today. A single interchange would filter traffic into Orting or onto SR162. Orting would become a destination rather than a transportation corridor. This would preserve the city’s small town appeal and stimulate its economic
growth as well.
Today the city of Orting is discussing an unpopular White Hawk/Calistoga Bypass for SR162 commuters passing through their city. This of course is only a temporary fix and is not adequate to handle the probable impacts from the growth of surrounding urban centers. The city residents are worried that
they are loosing their small town appeal and they are right. Unless they can divert commuters around their city like Sumner does, it will be forever lost.
Multi-lane Highway Concern
The first argument against this proposal will surely be over the overpass for SR 162. While we all deplore the need for such a roadway, reality is that it beats the alternative of not having it. While an overpass impacts aesthetics, its blessing is that it will be preserving the small town feel of Orting by
removing high volumes of thru-traffic from its streets. It moves traffic freely past Orting, capturing only town residents, visitors, and business customers. The only way that Sumner has managed to retain its small town feel is with the presence of the adjacent SR410 and SR167 highways to take traffic around its city. Residents must realize that Orting is now an urban center, however,
it can maintain its small town feel with this one compromise. It is a give and take option that has yet to be challenged by a better alternative.
Conclusion
The South Plateau Connection would benefit the entire region to accommodate the present and future urban centers and commercial interests. It offers a true east-west transportation corridor, as part of a realistic County transportation network. Specifically it would resolve the
transportation issues of the town of Orting and help to preserve the small town integrity that so many residents value. Orting residents and community leaders should weigh all of the issues and pressure the Pierce County Council to consider this option as the east-west transportation corridor.
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