Weyerhaeuser and construction cause traffic problems at port

When Weyerhaeuser announced it would build a logging storage facility at the Port of Olympia, it was estimated that 200 logging trucks a day would use city streets.

That seems like a fair estimate.  About every five minutes a logging truck makes its way down Plum street across Fourth, across State and makes a left turn into port property.

As someone who uses that route on a regular basis to get to the KGY studios at the north end of the port, I can attest that for the most part, the logging truck drivers are professional and courteous.

The trouble comes in when you also put the many trucks hauling gravel and dirt to the Port of Olympia construction site and the LOTT facility, together with the logging trucks.

One truck isn’t a problem.   Add another logging truck and two more trucks hauling gravel and dirt and you have a traffic problem.  There’s barely room for two trucks to sit between Fourth and State on Plum.  When another truck tries to make the light and gets caught on the red light you have back ups on all three streets.

I would suggest that the City of Olympia station an officer at those intersections to write tickets for any vehicle blocking an intersection.  That should help the situation.

Once the construction is over, the 200 logging trucks using the streets should not be a problem.