I-5 Puyallup River Bridge Project Delayed To Summer 2022

TACOMA, WA — A project to reroute southbound I-5 onto the new Puyallup River Bridge is going to take longer than previously expected, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported Tuesday.

According to an update from WSDOT's Cara Mitchell, the original plan was "ambitious but attainable" and could have allowed them to open HOV lanes from Fife to Tacoma by the end of this year. Unfortunately, supply chain issues prevented it from coming to fruition.

"We know this isn't what you wanted to hear. Both directions of I-5 from SR 16 in Tacoma to Port of Tacoma Road in Fife are in a temporary configuration with shifted and narrowed lanes and shoulders," Mitchell writes. "Sitting in traffic congestion through the construction zone is not pleasant. We gave you a timeline, and it has unfortunately changed. It's further out, but it is still within the original project timeline."

Other problems that contributed to the delay included schedule conflicts, which delayed the installation of concrete panels in the T Street work zone, and a re-sequencing of the drainage work, which kept construction moving but now has to be completed before final paving.

Under the new, reset timeline, construction at the T Street work zone should wrap this winter, allowing crews to being shifting northbound I-5 lanes into their final alignment across the Puyallup River. HOV lanes will then open sometime in summer 2022, alongside the new East L Street bridge.

That's a pain but, the delay will be worth the wait, WSDOT says, as shifting lanes from their current, temporary position will ultimately help cut down on drive times and delays in Fife and Tacoma.

"Making plans then adjusting is a letdown for all of us," Mitchell said. "If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we can adjust. We will finish this project. The 20-year road trip for the Tacoma Pierce County HOV program is coming to an end. We're almost there and we have a contractor that is doing all they can to complete the project as quickly as possible. Stick with us. The benefits the project will provide will be worth the wait."

>> Read more on WSDOT's blog.