Months-long construction begins on major Puyallup road

PUYALLUP,  Wash. – Construction began Thursday on a roadway many in Puyallup consider an alternative to busy South Meridian.

For the next 6-8 months, Shaw Road is now closed for a major construction project.

Traffic engineers say 16,000 people use Shaw Road each day but now the popular alternate shortcut is off-limits.

About $9.5 million will go into flipping the two-lane road into three lanes, including a center lane to make left-hand turns easier.

December is the earliest the project would be complete but construction could last into 2019.

The project will also include building a new sidewalk and mixed-use trail.