Date:  Sunday, March 21, 2010

Contact:

Troy Watts, field engineer, (253) 255-8215
Lisa Copeland, region communication manager (360) 790-1383

TACOMA – Motorists who rely on westbound SR 16 through Nalley Valley or are used to taking the Sprague Avenue exit can expect a different-looking commute Monday morning.

WSDOT and contractor Guy F. Atkinson Construction completed traffic revisions that will keep the Westbound Nalley Valley Project progressing forward, but will cause some delays and congestion for drivers traveling from southbound I-5 to SR 16; from I-705 to southbound I-5; and westbound SR 16 at Union Avenue. Those who can, are encouraged to use alternate routes.

“While these revisions will be in effect for the next year, we expect traffic flow to stabilize within the first month as drivers use alternate routes and become more familiar with the changes,” said Kevin Dayton, region administrator. “This will be difficult for some motorists, but the better they plan ahead and reassess their routes, the less traffic they’ll have to contend with.”

Crews constructed a temporary connection between the existing westbound and eastbound viaducts, placed traffic barrier and finalized the detour lane striping. Westbound traffic on SR 16 is rerouted to the temporary roadway, which allows crews to construct the tie-ins from the new viaduct structure to the existing westbound roadway.

Construction this weekend also closed the Sprague Avenue exit. It remains closed through project completion in 2011.

“Keeping traffic moving through this massive work zone is this project’s the biggest challenge for crews building the new viaduct,” said Dayton, adding that approximately 131,000 vehicles travel this section of SR 16 every day.

To accommodate the traffic shift, WSDOT recently reconfigured the southbound on-ramp from I-705 to I-5. While this change contributes to traffic congestion on I-705 and SR 7, it is necessary to optimize southbound I-5 traffic flow on and through the SR 16 interchange.

While disruptive, the work is a sign that this $120 million project is progressing. This project is funded by the 2003 Nickel transportation package, employs about 200 construction workers and supports an estimated 620 jobs.

Once the project is complete, new westbound bridges and Sprague Avenue ramps eliminate one of Pierce County’s worst bottlenecks and reduce collisions by an estimated 60 percent, or 16 fewer per year.

For more information, visit www.tacomatraffic.com.

< Go Back