Project Title & Location

1)  6th Ave. to Jackson Ave. - HOV, Tacoma 
2)  36th St. to Olympic Drive NW - HOV, Gig Harbor
3)  Union Ave. to Jackson Ave. - HOV, Tacoma

Project Description
This project constructs HOV Lanes on SR 16 from Olympic Drive in Gig Harbor to Union Avenue in Tacoma. There are currently four travel lanes. There will be six lanes throughout the corridor when complete, with additional lanes provided between Union Avenue and 6th Avenue interchanges.

Contractor/Consultant
Phase One: Tri-State Construction, Inc.   Phase Two: Woodworth and Company.    Phase Three: Tri-State Construction, Inc.

Recent Progress

Construction is physically complete on the first phase of this project, 6th Avenue to Jackson Avenue. 

The second phase, 36th Street to Olympic Drive, has been accelerated seven months; bids for the work were opened in December 2004.  Construction began in early May. The contractor completed the median widening and precast barrier installation. The westbound pavement has been overlaid. The eastbound onramp at Olympic is being widened and a new noise wall is being installed. Due to bad weather the final eastbound overlay has been delayed to late Spring 2006. 

The final phase of the project, Union to Jackson Avenue, was awarded Feb. 7, 2005.  Construction activities began March 11. All the drilled shafts for the bridges have been completed. The columns at the Snake Lake structures have been poured and the falsework is being installed for the eastbound bridge widening. Piers 2 and 3 are nearly complete for the Center Street bridge and the steel girder components are arriving at the job site. The abutments have been built and the prestressed girders placed at the 12th Street bridge. The Piers at the 6th Ave bridge are complete and falsework is being installed for the CIP box girder. The piers at the Pearl Street Bridge are nearly complete.

Approximately 400,000 cubic yards of earth have been excavated, of which 100,000 cubic yards has been placed in embankment areas on the project. 

The base lift of HMA was placed for the new alignment between Snake Lake and 19th Street.

New stormwater ponds have been constructed at Union Ave, Mullen Street, near Lowes, next to the JJ wetland , at 12th Street and at Pearl Street.

Two soil nail retaining walls have been constructed under the 19th Street bridge, three MSE walls have been constructed for the Center St. ramps, one cantilever wall was constructed at the JJ pond and another at the new frontage road. A noise wall is under construction near Snake Lake and another at the 6th Ave offramp.

Design Construction Impacts

Maintaining compatible work zones has been the result of ongoing coordination between SR 16 HOV construction and the adjacent Tacoma Narrows Bridge project.

Environmental Impacts / Compliance

For phase three of this project, 32 acres at Leach Creek mitigation site is in WSDOT possession.  An alternate mitigation plan has been submitted which includes storm water treatment at Leach Creek and funding of improvements at China Lake.

For the entire project Temporary Water Pollution and Erosion Control Plans, Spill Prevention Plans, Fugitive Dust Plans, and Health and Safety Plans have been developed and are being implemented.  High visibility fencing has been installed around wetland boundaries.  Storm water run-off will collected and treated to Department of Ecology standards for WSDOT construction projects.

WSDOT staff are conducting monthly walk-throughs with Department of Ecology and City of Tacoma staff to review work activities and BMP's on project.

Impacts to Traffic

Intermittent shoulder closures and nighttime lane closures can be expected throughout the project.  On March 28, 2005, the existing Tyler Street ramp was closed permanently.  The existing Center Street on- and off-ramps were closed June 7, 2005.  The Stage 2A traffic shift was implemented June 15, 2005. This shift placed westbound and eastbound traffic on the westbound Snake Lake bridge.  

Electronic message signs and highway advisory radio will be employed throughout the area, including the I-5 corridor, to alert travelers about traffic conditions on SR 16 during construction. A full communication and outreach program will also be used for traffic mitigation.

Construction is complete for phase one;  phase two construction started May 2, 2005.  The third phase began construction March 11, 2005.

Planned vs. Actual Expenditures
(Total Project Cost)

Nickel funds included in above costs

2005 Transportation Partnership Account