TACOMA – Fresh on the heels of a successful traffic switch for a section of southbound Interstate 5, contractor crews finishing the I-5 M Street to Portland Avenue HOV project near the Tacoma Dome have plans to move northbound I-5 into its final lane configurations over two nights the week of Oct. 8.
Once the work is complete, travelers on northbound I-5 will be driving on a new roadway surface. In addition, the single lane closure on the eastbound State Route 16 ramp to northbound I-5 will be removed, and the ramp will return to two lanes of traffic.
In order to move the lanes into final configuration, crews will need to implement a series of overnight lane and ramp closures for surveying, barrier removal and final striping. The work is weather dependent and could be rescheduled.
Daytime closure of State Route 7 ramp in Tacoma
Contractor crews finishing stormpond work will continue their daytime closure of the southbound I-5 ramp to SR 7 from Monday, Oct. 8 through Friday, Oct. 12.
The closure will begin each day after the morning commute at 9 a.m. and will be in place until 3 p.m. The ramp will reopen for the late afternoon and evening commute. The adjacent southbound I-5 ramp to I-705 will remain open.
Overnight lane and ramp closures
Monday, Oct. 8
- Northbound I-5 collector/distributor lanes to I-705 and SR 7 will close from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday.
- Eastbound SR 16 to northbound I-5 will close from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Tuesday, Oct. 9
- South 38th Street on-ramp to northbound SR 7 will close from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday.
- Northbound I-5 collector/distributor lanes to I-705 and SR 7 will close from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday.
- Eastbound SR 16 to northbound I-5 will close from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Wednesday, Oct. 10
- All lanes of northbound I-5 will detour at exit 133 from 11:59 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday.
- Northbound SR 7 on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday.
- Northbound SR 7 on-ramp and I-705 on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday.
Thursday, Oct. 11
- Southbound I-5 exit to SR 7, I-705 and 26th Street will close from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday.
Friday, Oct. 12
- Northbound SR 7 on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday.
Additional single and double overnight lane closures are scheduled on both directions of I-5 between South 48th Street and Port of Tacoma Road.
Visit the Tacomatraffic.com web page for updated HOV construction information. Real-time traveler information is available from the WSDOT app and by following the WSDOT regional Twitter feed.