Plan ahead: I-5 lane and weekend ramp closures scheduled after Labor Day

Shortly after the Labor Day holiday, drivers in the Tacoma area will notice a series of night single- and double-lane closures on Interstate 5, as well as a series of weekend ramp closures. The weekend ramp closures had been scheduled to occur earlier but were postponed due to rain. 

Work schedule

From 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, all lanes of mainline northbound I-5 will close. Drivers will be routed onto the parallel northbound I-5 collector/distributor lanes and detoured via either State Route 7 or Interstate 705.
From 10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, to 5 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, Pacific Avenue and southbound I-705 on-ramps to southbound I-5 will close.
From 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, the northbound I-5 collector/distributor exit to northbound I-705 and to southbound SR 7 will close.

These closures are needed for ongoing work in WSDOT’s I-5: M Street to Portland Avenue – HOV project. 

Overnight lane closures planned Sept. 8-10 at westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Nighttime drivers traveling on westbound State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge can anticipate three nights of lane closures. 

Beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 8-10, crews will close the right lane near the westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge followed by a double-lane closure at 8 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 10 a.m. each following morning. Two westbound lanes will remain open for traffic. 

The work is weather-dependent and could be rescheduled. 

The lane closures are needed for project to replace equipment that allows Washington State Department of Transportation crews to maintain areas under the span. 

Eastbound SR 16 lanes will not be affected. 

Night closures scheduled for East 28th Street through early September

Crews are busy with an effort to install water lines and roadway drainage, and to repave East 28th Street in Tacoma.

The work will require East 28th Street to be closed to all traffic between Portland Avenue East and East Bay Street from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. each weeknight through early September.

Signed detours will direct traffic around the closures. Drivers headed to northbound Interstate 5 will be detoured via East 26th Street; those going to State Route 167 will be detoured via East 29th Street. 

This work is part of WSDOT’s ongoing I-5: Portland Avenue to Port of Tacoma Road – Northbound HOV project.