Drivers in Gig Harbor are in for a long haul of detours and delays, with portions of 38th Avenue slated to close for roughly two years while the city installs a deep, gravity-fed sewer line and swaps the aging signal at 56th Street for a roundabout. Full closures will be needed while crews dig out space for the sewer, and at other times the corridor will be limited to one-way alternating traffic. City officials have been blunt that the work will be disruptive and say they are planning around emergency access and trash pickup so basic services can keep running.
Construction is expected to kick off in spring 2026 and continue into 2027. The city’s project FAQ notes it plans "to award the construction contract by the end of April so work can start right away." According to the City of Gig Harbor, utility providers are already relocating lines and the city is securing right of way ahead of groundbreaking.
The price tag will be covered by a mix of state grants and local transportation revenue, along with sewer capital and impact fees. The roundabout piece alone landed roughly $1.64 million in Transportation Improvement Board funding, according to the Transportation Improvement Board. City planning documents and project materials show the broader work, across multiple phases, will pull from several local sources to pay for design, permitting and construction.
What crews will build
The project calls for a single-lane roundabout at 56th Street and 38th Avenue, new bike lanes on both sides of 38th, a sidewalk and planter strip on the east side, and upgraded curbs and gutters. Two mid-block crosswalks with flashing beacons are planned to boost visibility for people on foot, and designers say they nudged the roundabout’s geometry slightly to avoid nearby buildings. The City of Gig Harbor also notes that a gravity-fed sewer main will be installed to upgrade stormwater and utility infrastructure beneath the corridor.
Traffic impacts and detours
When crews start digging for the deep sewer line, all lanes in the active work zone will be closed, according to the city. At other points during construction, drivers will move through the area using alternating one-way traffic controls. Local reporting says the city is routing traffic around the closure using Wollochet Drive, Kimball Drive and Soundview Drive, and that detours will be added to the online traffic map as details are finalized. Expect slower trips on parallel routes and updated alerts once a firm construction schedule is set.
Public outreach and next steps
The city plans to host an open house this spring to walk neighbors through construction sequencing, how access will work and what mitigation is planned. Residents can sign up for email or text notifications through the city’s alert system. Officials say they are coordinating with emergency responders and school transportation so those services can keep operating during closures, and they plan to share traffic maps and construction alerts on the project storymap once contract work is officially on the calendar. Property acquisitions and utility relocations are still being wrapped up before crews move in.
How to follow the project
Drivers who rely on 38th Avenue are being urged to sketch out alternate routes now and keep an eye on the city’s project page and traffic map for lane-by-lane updates and detour changes. The city says it will post notifications as milestones approach and will share the detailed construction schedule once the contract is awarded. For now, residents should brace for a phased, multiseason project that will significantly reshape the corridor and add new pedestrian and bike infrastructure along the route.
