There Will Be Major I-5 Closures Near Tacoma This Weekend & Next: Expect Long Delays

Driving late on I-5 near Tacoma this weekend and next will be tricky!

I-5 Drivers Near Tacoma Brace for Major Closures This Weekend

Drivers traveling on I-5 near Tacoma, Washington, are in for a major disruption this weekend and next. On Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, and again the following weekend, April 11 and 12, the Washington State Department of Transportation will close lanes of I-5 (WSDOT) for overnight construction. During the late-night closures, WSDOT will reduce traffic to a single lane in both directions on I-5.

Washington I-5 Construction Details: Who, What, When, Where, and Why?

Starting at 8 p.m. this Friday, April 4th, and 5th, crews will begin closing lanes on I-5 between Mounts Road and Steilacoom-DuPont Road. By 10 p.m., about two hours later, both directions of I-5 will be reduced to one lane, while traffic will be detoured over the Steilacoom-DuPont Road off- and on-ramps. These lane restrictions will remain overnight until around 6 a.m. the following morning, when all lanes will reopen.

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This temporary closure is for installing 170-foot-long steel girders that each weigh around 206,000 pounds. These girders will support a new overpass and diverging diamond interchange and are part of a $233.3 million project designed to ease traffic flow in the area. The new interchange should be completed by 2026.

What to Expect During the Lane Closures

Drivers on I-5 around Tacoma should plan for delays in the overnight hours. The Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass will also be closed while the girders are being installed, and northbound drivers will be detoured to 41st Division Drive, and those heading to northbound I-5 from Steilacoom-DuPont Road will be rerouted south to Center Drive. Emergency vehicles will still have access to the overpass.

Why the Closures on I-5?

This is part of WSDOT’s larger plan to widen I-5 in that area and add High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes between Mounts Road and Gravelly Lake Drive. The existing Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass, built in 1957, does not meet current standards and will soon be replaced because of safety.