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Road permanently closing to motorized vehicles in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park

Bicycles, pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic will be able to use the road. Walking trails and restrooms in that section of the park will also remain open.

TACOMA, Wash — A portion of road along the bluffs of Point Defiance Park is closing to vehicle traffic due to slope instability and erosion, Metro Parks Tacoma announced Tuesday.

The outer loop of Five Mile Drive is closing permanently to vehicle traffic on May 19 at 2 p.m., due to safety concerns and to prevent more slope damage from vehicle traffic.

Bicycles, pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic will be able to use the road. Walking trails and restrooms in that section of the park will also remain open to the public.

The closure runs from the entry/exits at Owen Beach and the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum. 

Metro Parks commissioned a recent geotechnical slope assessment that found ongoing erosion on the bluff edging the road around the point, as well as "encroaching instability."

Metro Parks officials said they have been monitoring the effects of climate change for years, and have been working to "make parks more resilient."

RELATED: Tacoma’s Owen Beach undergoing makeover to protect against rising sea levels

After receiving the report, Metro Parks stopped heavy vehicle traffic on the road, including school buses for students at the park's Science and Math Institute.

Credit: Metro Parks Tacoma

A previous plan to move the roadbed back from the bluff edge requires the removal of many large trees, which would impact the habitat and run counter to the park's commitment to stewardship, Metro Parks said. 

However, parks officials are looking for ways to increase accessibility given the road closure, including providing access to the point through a service road and creating a connection from the new upper Owen Beach parking area to the Outer Loop. 

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