Just in time for summer, Metro Parks Tacoma is finishing up the gateway to Point Defiance Park.
"It's a significant improvement," said Marty Stump, who manages design and construction for the parks.
The old entrance off Pearl Street joined eight different roads leaving and entering the park, including lanes to the Vashon Island ferry, and the boat launch. If getting to the park by car was challenging, getting there on two feet was at times, dangerous.
"It was like a game of Frogger at times," said Stump."There was no real safe or elegant way to get to the park on foot or by bicycle."
When Metro Parks announced a roundabout for the park's entrance last June, wasn't a new concept. In fact, in 1911, the park's original entrance in that same location included a giant monument with a roundabout. But it a sign of investment, not only in safety, but a better park experience.
"The roundabout really the gateway to a host of experiences," said Metro Parks Tacoma Regional Manager Phedra Redifer.
She says a 10-year vision to improve access and usability of the park is slowly coming together.
"This is an opportunity for us to really create a destination waterfront park," she said.
The 11-acre Dune Peninsula is slated to open early next year and will offer stunning views from the water's edge. There will be open park space along with a stage area for concerts, with more bike and walking paths to open up as smaller projects come to a close.
"With a little bit of patience we will be gifting back something to the community something that I don't think Tacoma envisioned that long ago," said Redifer.
