Construction projects necessitates gate, road closures Published Dec. 3, 2014 By Christina Carmen Crea Northwest Guardian JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Rainier Gate on Lincoln Road, which is the access point many Spanaway-area commuters use to enter Joint Base Lewis-McChord, will be closed beginning Dec. 5 to Jan. 6 for ongoing construction on the Joint Base Connector project. The JBLM Joint Base Connector is the first roadway to connect JBLM Lewis Main and McChord Field. The monthlong gate closure will allow demolition of approximately 400 feet of existing roadway to construct the new intersection of the JBLM Connector with Lincoln Road. "We will rip up and rebuild Lincoln Road to start at the curve of the connector bridge," said Mark V. Slominski, resident engineer on JBLM, Seattle District Corps of Engineers. When construction crews pave the Lincoln Road-Joint Base Connector curve they will lay pavement all the way to the new overpass. During the closure of the Rainier Gate, commuters are encouraged to use the Logistics Center Gate to access JBLM Lewis Main. Barnes Gate, the access point for many commuters who enter JBLM McChord Field from the south, will also be closed Dec. 16 to March 27 to construct a new roundabout intersection where the Joint Base Connector intersects with Barnes Boulevard. Base officials recently decided to install the roundabout, or traffic circle, for efficient traffic flow on and off the new connector roadway, and to better handle the increased traffic that will enter the base via Barnes Gate once the connector is open. During the closure of the Barnes Gate, commuters are encouraged to use the East Gate off of Perimeter Road to access JBLM McChord Field. There will be signage in all the construction areas to inform commuters of the gate closures and alternate gate locations. Barriers will also be up so travelers don't accidently drive onto the connector road or overpass once they are paved, but before they are completed. The connector was requested for transportation purposes to make it easier for those traveling from one side of the base to the other without using I-5 or secondary roads. It creates a physical union between McChord Field and Lewis Main and will become the primary route between both areas of the base. When the Joint Base Connector is completed the Rainier Gate on Lincoln Road will be permanently closed, and will only be opened for emergencies. Construction on the $7.5 million phase I Joint Base Connector project began in May. The overpass girders were installed in October, and the road and overpass are expected to be completed in April 2015. To get from Lewis Main to McChord Field, drivers currently must exit and then re-enter through security checkpoints. The connector should decrease travel time and ease traffic congestion on Interstate 5. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the capacity of I-5 along JBLM is approximately 120,000 vehicles per day, said John Norgren, JBLM legislative liaison. On average, I-5 is handling about 150,000 vehicles each day. The highway system is exceeding its capacity, so the connector should help ease some traffic congestion. It will also free up manpower as security will no longer be required at the Lincoln-Rainier gate. Construction is under the direction of the Army Corps of Engineers and Garco Construction from Spokane. The company is working alongside Total Site Services of Richland, Wash., as part of a Mentor Protege program that links small construction companies with larger ones to handle a major project. Phase I of the project involves constructing an overpass, road network and perimeter fencing to geographically link JBLM. There is an unfunded Phase II project that would eventually turn the joint base connector into a four-lane highway between Lewis Main and McChord Field. No date has been set for the second phase.