Closing truck stop is chance to shake traffic headache
June 13, 2008 · Updated 4:40 PM
The closing and demolition of the Flying J truck stop (Aug. 11 news article, Last stop for the Flying J) presents a wonderful opportunity for the state of Washington and the city of Federal Way to alleviate one of our major traffic headaches.
This is the time for the city to declare that truck traffic on South 348th (State Route 18), between Interstate 5 and Pacific Highway South, be restricted to local deliveries only.
Many truckers, primarily logging trucks and scrap haulers, use this route to avoid the truck scales on I-5. This scale-dodging by the truckers accounts for much of the traffic congestion at the intersection of 348th and Enchanted Parkway. It wouldnt take many weeks of issuing citations to violators of a local delivery only law to greatly reduce or even eliminate most of the truck traffic in this area.
Maybe the city could also prevail on the state to open the truck scales on Pacific Highway more often, thus making scale-dodging a futile effort.
I feel that the fines collected from overloaded and poorly maintained trucks would probably more than pay for the enforcement. Maybe then we could get to Costco, Home Depot, Lowes Home Improvement and the other businesses in that area and not face such huge traffic jams while attempting to do so.
LARRY McGUIRE
Federal Way
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