More work on this $2.8B Pierce County freeway project to start soon
Work to rebuild an infamously tangled Puyallup intersection on State Route 167 will pick up steam this summer, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
After decades of planning and more than $2.8 billion, once complete the Puget Sound Gateway Project in Pierce and King counties will add new connections to Interstate 5, the ports of Tacoma and the Sea-Tac Airport.
There will be a new expressway between State Route 410 and North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup, a new interchange at North Meridian Avenue, two bridges and updated street surfaces and ramps, according to WSDOT. The project also will build a new paved trail between Tacoma and Puyallup that passes through the Puyallup Tribe of Indians reservation and features artwork by Coast Salish artists.
The work will be completed in stages.
'The first stage of work completed the new Wapato Way East bridge and SR 99 roundabout in Fife. The second stage builds the expressway between I-5 and the Port of Tacoma. It's scheduled to open in 2026. Work on the third stage between SR 161/North Meridian Avenue and SR 410 began in 2025. Construction of the last stage between North Meridian Avenue and I-5 will begin in 2026. The entire project is planned for completion by 2030,' according to WSDOT.
The improvements will improve freight mobility in and around the Port of Tacoma, WSDOT project engineer Tom Slimak told The News Tribune on Wednesday. Slimak said that would improve economic vitality in the region and make driving more efficient for passenger vehicles as well, which will see a new expressway.
WSDOT will keep sending updates about road closures but anticipates some nighttime closures on SR 167 in the coming months, Slimak said.
'These projects have been a long time coming and the public's been waiting for it. It's pretty exciting that we're there. Lots of planning and effort to get to this point,' he said. 'It's rewarding at this point to be able to be building this and being almost done in 2029 … . after decades of preparatory work.'
The entire Puget Sound Gateway Program project will cost $2.83 billion, which includes $2.44 billion of state funding, $213 million in toll funding, $144 million in local funding and $73.7 million of federal funding from the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program, according to WSDOT.
Here is a breakdown of the SR 167 program costs:
Stage 1a: $55 million
Stage 1b: $635 million
Stage 2a: $265 million
Stage 2b: $660 million
Residents can learn more about the project and provide feedback online until Aug. 9.
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