TACOMA, Wash. — “Today is a milestone for us because over this weekend, we are going to be connecting for the first time, eastbound State Route 16 to a new eastbound viaduct,” said Claudia Bingham Baker, the Washington Department of Transportation Olympic region communications manager.
The closure schedule is as follows:
7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 4
- Open two lanes of eastbound SR 16. One lane will take motorists to northbound I-5; the other lane will take motorists to southbound I-5.
- Open South Union Avenue onramp to eastbound SR 16;
- Open southbound I-5 exit to South 38th Street.
10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4
- Close all lanes of eastbound SR 16 at South Union Avenue (detour via Union);
- Close South Union Avenue onramp to eastbound SR 16;
- Close southbound I-5 exit to South 38th Street.
11:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5
- Open one lane of eastbound SR 16, detour all eastbound SR 16 traffic onto southbound I-5. Motorists wishing to reach northbound I-5 will be detoured via South 56th Street interchange.
- Open South Union Avenue onramp to eastbound SR 16;
- Open southbound I-5 exit to South 38th Street.
10 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5
- Close all lanes of eastbound SR 16 at South Union Avenue (detour via Union);
- Close South Union Avenue onramp to eastbound SR 16;
- Close southbound I-5 exit to South 38th Street.
4 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6
- Open all ramps and roadways. Eastbound SR 16 motorists will be driving, for the first time, on the new permanent eastbound SR 16 viaduct.
The original viaduct built in 1971 carried about 40,000 vehicles per day, but the traffic now has more than doubled to 108,000 cars per day.
The worst traffic is expected to be Sunday morning, when all eastbound SR 16 lanes will be closed. Drivers are advised to either avoid the area or exit the highway before Union Avenue.
Bingham Barker said that when the project is finished, “What they will notice is that the new eastbound viaduct is wider and it's smoother, and it will feel much more comfortable than what they've been driving on.”