Brace yourselves, travelers. WSDOT has announced major overnight closures for Interstate 5 throughout September and October, impacting routes in Pierce and King counties. According to a release on the Washington State Department of Transportation's website, both directions of I-5 will shut down on the evenings of Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept. 28. This will kick off a series of four consecutive weekend closures aimed at securely placing the second longest pre-cast concrete girders in the world as part of a project to erect a new bridge and dismantle an old one.
The closures are part of the SR 167 Completion Project. Over the first two weekends, crews are scheduled to quickly set 15 bridge girders, each weighing 270,000 pounds and stretching out at 222 feet 9 inches. The task requires multiple cranes to lift and correctly position the rafters across the highway. Interruptions aren't just confined to I-5; additional routes like I-405, SR 167, and SR 520 will also see closures throughout the same weekends, making it essential for drivers to plan and consider alternatives.
Details about closing times are crystal clear: Lane closures on I-5 will begin at 7 p.m., with all northbound lanes closed by 10:30 p.m., followed by all southbound lanes at 11 p.m. The reopening process starts early morning on Saturdays and Sundays, making all lanes accessible by midday. WSDOT has also highlighted multiple ramp closures, such as the southbound I-5 exit to Port of Tacoma Road and the 54th Avenue East ramp to both northbound and southbound I-5.
To navigate the area, use SR 99 between SR 18 and 54th Avenue East for local access and SR 161, 167, and 512 for regional travel. WSDOT advises drivers to delay non-essential trips or adjust their schedules to avoid heavy traffic on these detours. Major work is happening, including installing new girders and demolishing the old 70th Avenue East bridge, with a layer of sand spread over I-5 to catch debris.
