Attention to all eastbound State Route 516 drivers: The familiar route to northbound Interstate 5 is changing due to construction. Starting from 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, the usual eastbound SR 516 loop ramp to northbound I-5 will be out of commission for four months, as crews set to work on a rebuilding mission that’s part of a larger endeavor to complete SR 509.
As reported by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the detour will direct drivers instead to a temporary left turn lane and signal, functional starting at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19. This new setup, positioned just east of the I-5 overpass, is designed for safely guiding vehicles left across SR 516 to connect to a temporary northbound entry onto I-5.
WSDOT Project Engineer Ward Anderson voiced a heads-up to drivers about the anticipated adjustment to their routines. “There may be a bit of a learning curve for drivers,” Anderson said, explaining that eastbound travelers will need to remember "to stay left and then get in that temporary left turn lane.” The goal is to ensure drivers are adequately prepped for the switch with advanced signage.
The ramp’s reconstruction aims to improve the intersection’s configuration, aligning it with the entrance of other ramps to and from the northbound I-5, and mitigating the existing ramp's sharp curve. This overhaul is just a part of the larger SR 509 Completion Project, which is piecing together a new tolled highway that eventually will stretch from I-5 to South 188th Street near Sea-Tac Airport's southern threshold. The current segment in work, extending from I-5 to 24th Avenue, is on track to open in 2025, with the full project expected to reach its terminus in 2029.
