Pioneer Widening Project Update: April 17, 2025

Pioneer Street Will Open by May 1 with a New Roundabout, Center Medians, and Upgraded Utility Infrastructure

Pioneer Street, between Discovery Drive and 56th Place, will be re-opened by Thursday, May 1. When it opens, drivers can expect one travel lane in either direction separated by a center median, a new roundabout at Discovery Drive and Pioneer, and a re-striped 56th Place and Pioneer roundabout with two lanes going all the way around. The outer lanes of the widened roadway will remain closed until final paving is completed in September.

Since the full closure began in January, the City’s contractor for the Pioneer Widening Project has made significant progress. Their dedicated efforts—despite inclement weather and the discovery of unexpected underground conditions—have kept the project moving efficiently. In preparation for the reopening, crews will complete grading, paving, and striping over the coming weeks.

On Friday, April 18, paving work near the new roundabout will require construction trucks to be in the roadway for periods of time. Intermittent flagging and up to 15-minute traffic holds are expected between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM in both directions at the new roundabout. Travelers are strongly encouraged to use the detour route during this time.

Following the reopening, N Discovery Drive will close between Pioneer Street and 53rd Place to install sidewalks, planter strips and finish the roadway improvements for Phase 1. Simultaneously, the contractor will begin work on Phase 4, widening Pioneer Street between Royle Road and Discovery Drive utilizing lane shifts to avoid closures.

While we’re disappointed the road is reopening a week later than originally planned, we’re grateful for the significant progress made since January. The contractor has installed thousands of feet of underground utility pipes, built retaining walls, tested new utility infrastructure, constructed a new roundabout and created the new road base to support the elevated and widened roadway.

Our traffic camera captured a timelapse of their progress:

Thanks to careful planning and the use of full closure during Phase 2, we do not anticipate any future full closures of Pioneer Street—except for a couple days this fall for final paving.

This consolidated closure has allowed the City to accelerate construction, reduce repeated disruptions, and ensure the road is ready ahead of the busy summer season and the opening of new businesses in the Ridgefield Junction area.

We understand the closure has been an inconvenience and sincerely appreciate your patience. Every step of this project has been taken with the community’s long-term benefit in mind. In addition to expanding roadway capacity, the project includes critical upgrades to Ridgefield’s underground infrastructure—improvements that will serve the city well into the future.

Thank you for your continued support as we invest in a safer, more efficient transportation system for Ridgefield.

Future Pioneer Street Cross Section