Yelm Mayor Joe DePinto and Public Works Director Cody Colt discussed a number of projects slated for the area in 2025 and beyond during the monthly community conversations event on Wednesday, March 12.
DePinto began the meeting, which occurred inside the Yelm Community Center, by talking about coordination between the city, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Thurston County and Pierce County for an upcoming series of roundabouts along state Route 507 and nearby roads.
The mayor noted that Thurston County is handling the roundabout at state Route 507 and Vail Road Southeast, Pierce County is handling the roundabout at state Route 507 and state Route 702, WSDOT is handling the roundabout at state Route 507 and Walmart Boulevard Southeast, while Yelm will be responsible for roundabouts at state Route 507 and Bald Hill Road Southeast and Bald Hill Road Southeast and Morris Road. WSDOT is set to provide funding for four of the five roundabouts, excluding the roundabout at Bald Hill Road Southeast and Morris Road Southeast, which have yet to secure funding.
“This is in coordination with Pierce County, Thurston County, as well as WSDOT. This is a unique project. Normally, when WSDOT creates and manages projects, they do it themselves,” DePinto said. “But we’re moving on that project and probably the furthest along of the three jurisdictions. Thurston County is next, and then Pierce County is the most important. It’s a lynch pin for all of this. These roundabouts are going to move traffic. It’s going to increase traffic flow.”
DePinto added the key “chokehold” of traffic is at the McKenna Y in front of McKenna Elementary, and adding a roundabout there would be huge for improving local traffic congestion. He anticipates these projects beginning in late 2025 or early 2026.
“It’s gonna move traffic,” DePinto said. “It might push down into Pierce County and the Spanaway area, but for Yelm, which is the main area I hear about, we’re going to reduce traffic congestion. It’s going to be amazing.”
DePinto and Colt each highlighted the near completion of Phase 2B for Yelm’s Prairie Line Trail. Phase 2A extended the walkway all the way to the Nisqually River, and Phase 2B will extend the trail over the Nisqually River.
DePinto said this phase of the project should be completed later this year.
The goal is to eventually connect the trail into Pierce County and Roy and allow for Seattle-to-Portland Classic cyclists to safely voyage through the region while enjoying the scenic views of the Prairie Line Trail.
Colt said the construction timeline to extend the trail across the Nisqually River trestle bridge will take up to about three months. He’s hopeful to see this portion of the city’s latest trail completed by summertime.
Pedestrians will be able to enjoy captivating views of Mount Rainier and the Nisqually River through binoculars and on a ledge walkout once the bridge upgrades are completed.
Colt believes Phase 2B of the Prairie Line Trail will provide for some of the best views in the region.
“You’ll be able to look out and see everything below you. It’s a cool idea,” Colt said. “There’s also going to be a bunch of informational facts we’ll have included. There will be one about the fish, everything native to the Nisqually. We’ll have one about the importance of the Nisqually River to the tribe, too.”
According to Colt, the trail isn’t intended to be just a walking experience, but also a learning experience. He said the Yelm City Council and DePinto have been very supportive in adding items that make walking, biking or skating experiences different and unique.
Yelm and Pierce County also hold quarterly meetings to discuss the Prairie Line Trail’s eventual outlet into Roy, Colt stated during the event.
“About five months ago, we had a group including Pierce County, ourselves, Tacoma, Mount Rainier — a task force group — and we came up with a plan for Pierce County’s connection,” Colt said. “We told them we’re connecting to them in about 2027. They’re going to be a little slower because BNSF still owns the rail line after the City of Yelm property.”
Once the Prairie Line Trail is completed, Colt said pedestrians would be able to walk from Olympia to Tacoma on the walkway.
“Eventually, it will go up to Mount Rainier — all on a trail system. It’s bonkers, not that I’d ever walk that, but it would be a fun adventure to go and do,” Colt said. “The bridge will be the most amazing part. We’re looking forward to that.”
Colt also highlighted Rhoton Road, which is due for some upgrades as the city anticipates it becoming one of the most frequented roads once the Yelm Loop is completed. Earlier in the year, the city secured $2 million in grant funding to fully fund the upcoming Rhoton Road reconstruction project.
“Rhoton Road, right off First Street, is going to eventually connect to the Yelm Loop. It will be the main artery people use. Right now, people come down Cullens around Cherry Meadows to get to Yelm. Most people will now go to Rhoton Road and take it down,” Colt said. “We want to have that road improved before the bypass comes in. There will be trails going along, kind of a shared use path for bikes, runners and people on wheelchairs.”
Finally, the city is nearing completion of its water reclamation facility, which Colt said is slated to go online later in 2025.
“We’re in year four of construction, and it went a lot longer because of electrical gear being on backorder. The reason that’s very important is because if you go to our sewer plant to our basins that process our sewer, they’re this close to being overfilled,” Colt said, after gesturing a small measurement with his hands. “That plant will take us until 2045 and beyond for sewer treatment. Right now, our current plan can handle about a million gallons a day at full capacity. Our new plant will be able to handle 2.5 million gallons a day, and we can upgrade it to over 4 million gallons if we need to.”
Colt was thankful to see the city council and the mayor “get ahead” on this project and fund it before it became a problem. He expects to see the plant go online in July, and once it’s live, the old plant will begin to turn off.
“It’s a really exciting process. Once this plant is up and running, we’re going to work with the school district to schedule tours. We’re going to turn a lab into an educational facility. We’ll actually have classes to try and get the next generation interested,” Colt said.
“We’re hoping to reinvigorate people’s interest in the process. We’re excited about the sewer plant coming online soon.”
