Gig Harbor adopts 2027-2032 plan, keeps Cushman Trail at No. 20

Gig Harbor adopted its six-year transportation program on June 22, keeping Cushman Trail Phase 5A design and permitting at project No. 20 while roadway, intersection, pavement and traffic-management work ranks higher.

The City Council approved Resolution 1361, adopting the 2027-2032 Transportation Improvement Program. The program is the city’s planning framework for transportation projects, but it does not establish a guaranteed construction date or award funding for every project listed.

Cushman Trail remains in the program

Cushman Trail Phase 5A was included in the adopted project list for design and permitting. During the council discussion, a request to move the trail project higher was not approved.

Council discussion focused in part on funding uncertainty and the possibility that elevating the trail could displace projects with existing grant opportunities. The ranking therefore reflects how the city is organizing its transportation work and pursuing potential funding; it does not mean the trail project was rejected, canceled or permanently delayed.

The current program also does not promise when construction on Phase 5A will begin. Future progress will depend on design, permitting, grant applications, available funding and later city decisions.

Roads and traffic projects rank ahead

The adopted program places several roadway and intersection projects ahead of Cushman Trail Phase 5A, along with pavement maintenance and other transportation priorities. The list reflects the city’s need to balance longer-term trail connections with projects tied to road conditions, intersections and daily traffic operations.

One item in the program is a study of metering at the Borgen Boulevard westbound SR-16 off-ramp. The program calls for studying possible ramp-metering operations; it does not represent an immediate installation of traffic controls.

For commuters, the study could help the city evaluate how traffic entering Borgen Boulevard from westbound SR-16 is managed. At this stage, however, the city has committed to evaluating the issue rather than completing a construction project.

What residents should watch next

The transportation program will guide future design work, permitting, grant applications and capital-project decisions through 2032. Project rankings can change as funding opportunities emerge, costs are updated, designs advance or transportation needs shift.

For residents interested in the Cushman Trail extension, the key point is that Phase 5A remains part of Gig Harbor’s adopted transportation program, but at No. 20 and without a construction schedule established by the June 22 action. The city’s next meaningful steps will be tied to design and permitting activity, funding decisions and any future amendments to the project list.

Sources

• Gig Harbor Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program, 2027-2032
• Gig Harbor Now: City Council approves updated transportation plan