State Route 16 Closures Begin Next Week

Starting next week and continuing through mid-August, crews working on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s SR 16 Eastbound Nalley Valley project will close eastbound State Route 16 and some city streets on multiple weeknights to set bridge girders.

In total, crews will set 83 girders this summer to build three separate bridges within the project:

1. The new permanent eastbound SR 16 viaduct
2. The South Sprague Avenue on-ramp to southbound I-5
3. The South Sprague Avenue on-ramp to northbound I-5

Next week’s closures are scheduled as follows: 

Crews will begin closing eastbound SR 16 lanes at 9 p.m. each night from Monday, June 17 through Thursday, June 20 near South Union Avenue.  At 11 p.m. each night, all lanes of eastbound SR 16 will be closed at South Union Avenue, along with the South Union Avenue on-ramp to eastbound SR 16.  During the closures, traffic will be detoured via South Union Avenue.  The lanes and ramp will reopen each following morning by 4 a.m.

During those same hours, crews will also close all lanes of South Tacoma Way between South Pine Street and South Wilkeson Street.  Motorists will be detoured via South Center Street. 

On Friday, June 21, crews will again close eastbound SR 16 at South Union Avenue and the Union Avenue on-ramp to eastbound SR 16 at 11 p.m., detouring traffic via South Union Avenue.  The lanes and ramp will reopen by 5:30 a.m. Saturday, June 22. South Tacoma Way will also be closed during those hours and traffic will be detoured via South Center Street.

Similar closures will be announced throughout the summer as this phase of construction is completed.  For more information about Nalley Valley construction, motorists can visit WSDOT’s SR 16 Eastbound Nalley Valley project website. Information about highway closures around the South Sound can be found at tacomatraffic.com.

-Washington State Department of Transportation