This summer, the city of Pacific will widen Stewart Road between Valentine and Butte Avenues, improving freeway access, reducing traffic congestion and adding pedestrian facilities, city officials say.

On April 19, the Auburn City Council authorized Mayor Nancy Backus to enter into a local agency agreement with Pacific that will see Auburn contribute $100,000 toward that project because the increased roadway capacity of Stewart Road will carry vehicles that would have otherwise used Auburn’s streets.

Also, some Auburn residents use Stewart Road to get to SR 167 and Jovita Boulevard.

Auburn’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) includes the Pacific project, with Auburn providing funding in 2021. The funding is included in Auburn’s adopted 2021-2022 biennial budget.

Construction is anticipated to wrap in 2022.

Additionally, the city of Sumner is pursuing another project that will widen the Stewart Road Bridge across the White River. The Sumner project should be under construction in 2023 or 2024. The City of Auburn’s TIP shows Auburn providing a $150,000 contribution toward Sumner’s project, which would be the subject of a separate interlocal agreement brought at a later date.