I-5 ramps on Port of Tacoma Road in Fife to close for two weeks starting Friday
Drivers in Fife will have to adjust their commutes for the next couple weeks.
Interstate 5 ramps along Port of Tacoma Road will close Friday (March 6) through March 23 for an environmental cleanup project.
The following roads will be closed, according to the state Department of Transportation:
▪ Northbound I-5 exit 136A to 20th Street East will close at 8 p.m. Friday.
▪ Port of Tacoma Road on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close at 10 p.m. Friday.
▪ Travelers coming from Pacific Highway East will only be able to access southbound I-5. The southbound lane of Port of Tacoma Road across the overpass to 20th Street will close.
▪ The intersection of Port of Tacoma Road and 20th Street East will close at 10 p.m. Friday.
Travelers can use 54th Avenue, Pacific Highway East, and Route 509 as detour routes.
Work is weather-dependent and might delay the timing for reopening the ramps, according to DOT.
The cleanup is part of an accident that occurred in 2016 when a truck overturned and spilled 7,500 gallons of fuel.
About 6,800 gallons have been removed so far, according to the city of Fife, but about 700 gallons remain.
The latest closure will allow for removal of the rest of the contaminated soil and replacement of a culvert that is under the roadway.
