From staff reports:

Nighttime paving on Pacific Highway South begins Tuesday on the stretch between South 312th Street and Dash Point Road in Federal Way.

Motorists should expect lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Oct. 27. Delays of up to 30 minutes should be expected when entering and exiting driveways at businesses. Flaggers at those driveways will assist motorists across the fresh tar and hot asphalt, according to the city. Detour routes will be available.

Side streets at South 308th Street and South 304th Street will be affected; motorists should expect long closures and delays. Similarly for daytime lane closures, motorists will continue to see congestion in both directions of the route.

Construction crews are also pouring concrete for sidewalks this week.

Completion in December

After nearly 10 years, major construction on one of Federal Way’s main arterial roads is almost done. The fourth and final phase of the project is under way with completion slated for December 2011.

Construction on this phase began in July 2010. This segment of Pacific Highway South between South 312th Street and Dash Point Road averages about 38,000 vehicles per day, according to the city.

Similar to the first three phases of construction, improvements will include new pavement overlay and widening of the road from five lanes to seven lanes. There will be two general purpose lanes and one HOV lane in each direction, along with provisions for left turns and U-turns at intersections, according to the city.

When completed, this segment will reduce congestion while improving pedestrian access. The finished project will also feature uninterrupted sidewalks and landscaped medians.

The construction contract was awarded to J.R. Hayes and Sons Inc. in 2010. The project is funded by the city; two federal Transportation Equity Act grants; a Transportation Improvement Board grant; and a Regional Mobility grant.

To learn more, call the project hotline at (253) 269-1355 or visit www.cityoffederalway.com/index.aspx?nid=232.