TACOMA, Wash. South Sound commuters face two weeks of disruption as two lanes of the westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge close for maintenance, KOMO reported.
The closure of two lanes of State Route 16 over the bridge began at 5 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and is scheduled to last until Sunday, Nov. 8. The Jackson Avenue on-ramp will also be closed throughout the two weeks.
All vehicles will be allowed to use the HOV lane, leaving two open lanes for drivers during the closure, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
WSDOT said the closure creates a work zone so crews can replace a deteriorating portion of an expansion joint on the westbound bridge. The state said crews need daylight to work properly above and below the bridge deck and to pour concrete around the newly placed piece.
It is the 11th repair the state has had to make to the westbound bridge in the past two years, according to WSDOT. Drivers should expect delays of an hour or longer heading from Tacoma to Gig Harbor during afternoon commuting hours, and congestion is expected on westbound SR 16 in Tacoma approaching the bridge and on nearby side streets.
The state urged drivers to travel with a full tank of gas or a fully charged vehicle. Gig Harbor area resident Scott McGinty told KOMO he supports the safety work even though it will delay a bus commute to Seattle that already takes a few hours each day. Julie Cain said her family will struggle during the closure because her son's school is in Tacoma while his soccer practice is in Gig Harbor, and he may miss the final weeks of the season.
WSDOT said the bridge carries about 90,000 drivers per day. A longer-term project to refurbish the bridge's expansion joints is currently in design, with construction anticipated in 2027.