Washington State Department of Transportation press release.
TACOMA – Upcoming work on Interstate 5 ramps in Tacoma this weekend, Sept. 9 through Sept. 11, means travelers will need to plan to help prevent delays.
Construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will refresh I-5 exits and on-ramps at South 38th Street and the northbound I-5 exit to I-705.
The northbound and southbound ramps at South 38th Street will close around the clock in stages. The northbound I-5 off-and on-ramps, including the exit to eastbound State Route 16, will close first followed by the southbound I-5 off- and on-ramps.
Ramp closures:
Northbound I-5
- 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 9, northbound I-5 exit 132 to eastbound SR 16, and the eastbound and westbound South 38th Street ramps will close. The 38th Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 and eastbound SR 16 will also close.
- 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 9, the northbound I-5 exit to I-705 will close.
- 7 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, the northbound I-5 exit 132 to eastbound SR 16 will reopen. The South 38th Street ramps to and from northbound I-5 will remain closed.
- 12 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, the northbound I-5 exit to I-705 reopens.
- 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, all northbound I-5 ramps to and eastbound and westbound South 38th Street will reopen.
Detour:Travelers will follow a signed detour on northbound I-5 using exit 133 to southbound SR 7, East 38th Street and back to northbound SR 7 to return to southbound I-5, I-705, eastbound SR 16 and South 38th Street.
Southbound I-5
- 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, southbound I-5 exit 132A to westbound South 38th Street and the South 38th Street on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close.
- The southbound I-5 exit to eastbound South 38th Street will remain open.
- 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, the southbound ramps will reopen.
Detour:
Travelers will follow a signed detour on southbound I-5 to South 56th Street.
Why we are doing this work
The interchange of I-5 and South 38th Street has been a workhorse for detour routes on several recent Tacoma/Pierce County HOV Program projects. With HOV construction on I-5 in Tacoma finished, WSDOT is resurfacing the ramps serving the South 38th Street interchange. Crews are also refreshing the lane lines on the I-705 ramp.
WSDOT is coordinating this work with the City of Tacoma’s pedestrian curb ramp project at South 56th Street.
The schedule may change due to inclement weather. WSDOT will update advance closure notices on the statewide travel map.
Before heading out the door, travelers can find the latest information on the WSDOT app and by following the WSDOT regional Twitter account.
