Please see detour map below. Also check out this video showing the detour route from the driver's perspective! Windows Media Player or YouTube
Why has WSDOT closed the northbound I-5 exit (#133) to the city center, and why does the ramp have to be closed for three months?
Part of the new Eastbound Nalley Valley project is demolishing the northbound Interstate 5 exit to the Tacoma City Center (Exit #133), and rebuilding a new exit. To get that task done, WSDOT has closed the existing northbound exit around the clock through July 2012.
Why demolish a ramp just to rebuild it?
Often, to keep traffic moving, WSDOT builds temporary roadways until it is time to build the permanent roadways. That is the case here. The closed northbound I-5 exit was a temporary structure built a few years ago that was always meant to be replaced. A new ramp will be built at a different alignment that is compatible with long-term plans WSDOT has for the I-5/SR 16 interchange.
What's the detour during the closure?
Fortunately there is a straightforward detour during the closure. Motorists are being rerouted to the City Center via Exit #132 (the previous northbound exit). They stay in the right lane of the exit, and instead of going onto SR 16 they drive straight and join the collector/distributor that takes them to I-705 and the City Center.
