This shovel-ready project was selected as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (federal stimulus bill). The $35.3 million in ARRA funds will be used for construction, which supports an estimated 130 jobs.
Why is WSDOT
building HOV lanes from Port of Tacoma Road to the King County line?
We're building HOV lanes to ease congestion on this heavily-traveled section of I-5.
HOV lanes help transit, vanpools and carpools move efficiently, especially when traffic is congested in the general-purpose lanes. This reliability tends to increase ridership in multi-passenger vehicles, easing demand in the general-purpose lanes and making the highway system work better for everyone.
This project is part of the Tacoma/Pierce County HOV Program, a series of highway projects to provide operational improvements and high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes on Interstate 5 (I-5), State Route 16 (SR 16), and State Route 167 (SR 167).
The End Result
This project widens I-5 in the median to accomodate new HOV lanes from Port of Tacoma Road to the Pierce/King county line.
Other improvements include new bridge railing on the 70th Avenue (Ardena Road) overpass, new traffic cameras and monitoring equipment for real-time traffic conditions, and ramp meters at the 54th Avenue interchange. Additionally, this project repaves all lanes of I-5 from Port of Tacoma Road to the Pierce/King county line.
Environmental mitigation for the project was completed in 2007. Learn more about Spring Valley Restoration.
Project Benefits
- HOV lanes. HOV lanes provide an alternative transportation mode to those who are able to share the ride. The HOV lanes in this project join with the HOV lanes in King County, extending the statewide HOV system.
- Congestion relief. This project relieves I-5 congestion by adding new HOV lanes.
- Real-time traffic information. Traffic cameras at strategic locations inform travelers of traffic conditions on electronic signs, local television stations and the Web.
- Highway preservation. This project repaves all lanes of I-5 from Port of Tacoma Road to the King County, providing motorists a smoother ride and preserving the roadway.
What is the project timeline?
WSDOT awarded the $31 million construcion contract to Bellevue-based Tri-State Construction, Inc in July 2009.
Construction started in mid-August 2009.
The project is scheduled to be open to traffic in late 2011.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources:
- 2009 Federal Stimulus (ARRA) - $35,388,653
- 2005 Transportation Partnership Account (Gax Tax) - $5,972,665
- 2003 Nickel Funding Package (Gas Tax) - $18,046,513
- Existing Funds - $10,872,707
- City of Federal Way - $628,855
- Total Funding From All Sources - $ 70,909,393
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Rumina Suafoa, Project Engineer
WSDOT Tacoma Project Engineer Office
1614 South Mildred, Suite M
Tacoma, WA 98465-1626
Phone: 253-534-3100
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