TACOMA – If the weather cooperates, a weekend ramp closure in Tacoma will bring an end to the temporary location of southbound Interstate 5 exit 133 to Tacoma’s city center.
Weekend ramp closure April 9-12
Starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, April 9, the Portland Avenue/East 27th Street on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close around-the-clock until 5 a.m. Monday, April 12.
During the around-the-clock ramp closure, drivers can take alternate routes to reach southbound I-5 or follow a signed detour from Portland Avenue to southbound State Route 509 to northbound I-705 to southbound I-5.
At 5 a.m. Monday, April 12, the following changes will be in place:
- Portland Avenue/East 27th Street on-ramp to southbound I-5 reopens.
- Southbound I-5 exit 133 to I-705 and SR 7 will be back in its original location near the Tacoma Dome.
- Drivers using the Port of Tacoma Road and SR 167/Bay Street on-ramps to southbound I-5 will merge at a new location near Portland Avenue.
What’s happening?
Construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation are shifting travel lanes to create a new work zone so another section of the existing, aging roadway can be replaced. Crews will also drill foundations for new overhead signs, install drainage and barrier.
The ramp closure allows crews to realign the on-ramp in conjunction with a new traffic switch on southbound I-5.
This work is part of a project that widens I-5, builds a new southbound I-5 Puyallup River Bridge, and builds high occupancy vehicle lanes in Tacoma.
Additional planned maintenance and construction closures can be found online at the WSDOT Pierce and Thurston County travel planner. Before heading out the door, travelers can find the latest information on the WSDOT app and by following the WSDOT regional Twitter feed.
