Warm weather, sunshine and children on vacation are sure signs of summer.

As a byproduct of growth, however, orange cones, flaggers and minor delays in traffic flow might also mark the beginning of summer on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Works spokesman Matt Weeks said that more road construction projects are gearing up for the next few months.

"Part of it's repair and part of it's mobility improvement," Weeks said of the overall goal. "The weather is finally cooperating, so, we're set to go."

Three projects will require a bit of flexibility by JBLM drivers, he said, and allocation of a few extra minutes to negotiate a detour or two.

East Drive/North Gate Road

"East Drive and North Gate Road resurfacing, the Pendleton Avenue improvements and 41st Division Avenue improvements will all impact traffic," Weeks said.

Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-July.

Essentially, East Drive will be getting a facelift, he said.

"We won't be closing the gate," Weeks said. "Traffic will be detoured around construction."

Trying to route traffic through the construction zone would be unsafe, he said.

Part of that project also includes an overlay on a section of North Gate Road.

"Sections of the road will be closed throughout the work," Weeks said, with detours clearly marked.

During this time, the Army Corps of Engineers will be synchronizing the traffic light at Steilacoom/DuPont and East Drive that will help with timing and flow of traffic, he said.

East Drive construction will last for two months.

"Asphalt work needs warm, dry temperatures," Weeks said. "We really try to get as much done during the summer as possible."

The 41st Division Drive improvements will begin around July 5, he said.

41st Division Drive

"For that one, we'll be shutting the roads down," Weeks said. "Safety for drivers and road crews remains our main concern."

Full road closure of the section near Jackson Avenue during after duty hours will mean the construction work will take place between 6 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., he said.

"We're still working on detour plans," Weeks said. "We still have to tweak a few things."

Detour routes will be announced before the project begins in the Northwest Guardian and elsewhere. Improvements will include resurfacing and repainting the lanes, he said.

"We'll take off a few inches of asphalt and then go back and repave it," Weeks said.

Pendleton Avenue

The most extensive project will be improving Pendleton Avenue.

According to a JBLM Public Affairs spokesman, road improvements to Pendleton Avenue will result in a more pedestrian friendly and aesthetically pleasing roadway.

Road work begins in August on the section of Pendleton Avenue from 12th Street to 41st Division Drive.

"(The project) will upgrade the road to serve anticipated future traffic needs, create a pedestrian and bike friendly environment and create an attractive, tree-lined boulevard," said J.C. Mathews, JBLM public affairs officer.

With the work being done in phases, the design will assure two lanes in each direction of travel, dedicated right- and left-turn lanes and divided access roads, where possible, for off-street parking, he said.

The first part of the project starts this summer and all phases of the project will finish in 2013.

Information about road closures and traffic alerts can be found online at www.lewis-mcchord.army.mil.