TACOMA, Wash. — Metro Parks Tacoma was set to break ground Monday on a new trail in Point Defiance Park.
The groundbreaking is phase one of the Loop Trail project, which will give park visitors better access to key points in the park.
The Loop Trail will be a paved trail for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting Wilson Way bridge, the pagoda, Owen Beach, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the roundabout and back.
According to the Metro Parks Tacoma website, phase one will also include the following:
- A new sidewalk and improvements to Park Avenue west of the roundabout to the park road near the Mildred Street entrance
- Paving on top of the current gravel Trolley Lane trail leading north from the roundabout over grass to the Japanese Garden, featuring a small plaza at the entry to the Wilson Way bridge and a safer pedestrian road crossing near the garden
Phase two, which has not yet been permitted will begin construction in 2023.
Phase two includes an improved trail leading west from the garden, a picnic area, and more improvements to help visitors better access the zoo.
"The Loop Trail will continue the work envisioned in the 2015 Master Plan Update, which clearly gathered our community's wishes for a Point Defiance Park that is accessible, connected and enjoyable for people, and a safe home for wildlife," commented Park Board President Andrea Smith. "Caring for this regional park, which is so important to so many, is a responsibility we take very seriously."