Record-setting bridge girders to cause lane closures on I-5 in Tacoma
The new year will kick off with some overnight lane closures and detours on Interstate 5 in Tacoma.
The state Department of Transportation’s contractor, Guy F. Atkinson Construction, will begin installing 30 giant bridge girders over the Puyallup River in Tacoma on Jan. 4 that will cause the disruptions.
One of those girders is a record-setting 223 feet in length and almost 9 feet high, weighing more than 246,500 pounds.
It’s the longest prestressed concrete girder made in North America, according WSDOT, and is roughly the weight of a Blue whale and the length of a 747 airplane. The girders were made at Concrete Technology Corporation in Tacoma.
“This mammoth girder, along with 29 others that are almost as big, will complete the backbone of a bridge that will carry southbound I-5 traffic over the Puyallup River and several railroad lines,” according to WSDOT’s website.
The girders will join 54 others that were installed in February to form the backbone of the new bridge over the Puyallup Rover.
The project aims to ease congestion on I-5 near the Puyallup River Bridge and connect HOV lanes from SR 16 in Gig Harbor to I-5.
All lanes of the new bridge are tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2021, according to WSDOT.
Crews still need to pave the roads, finish the new East L Street overpass, and remove the old 1960s era bridge spans.
“This is a significant milestone in completing the new bridge,” WSDOT project engineer Gaius Sanoy said in a news release. “We truly appreciate everyone’s patience while crews work to finish the project.”
Drivers can expect the following closures:
Jan. 4 — Jan. 7
One lane of southbound I-5 across the Puyallup River Bridge will close each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Port of Tacoma Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The southbound I-5 exit 135 to Portland Avenue and North SR 167 will close each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Southbound SR 167/Bay Street/River Road will close at East Grandview Avenue each night from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Jan. 11 — Jan. 14
One lane of southbound I-5 across the Puyallup River Bridge will close each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Port of Tacoma Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The southbound I-5 exit 135 to Portland Avenue and North SR 167 will close each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Jan. 18 — Jan. 20
Two lanes of southbound I-5 across the Puyallup River Bridge will close each night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Southbound SR 167/Bay Street/River Road will close at East Grandview Avenue each night from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The Port of Tacoma Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The southbound I-5 exit 135 to Portland Avenue and North SR 167 will close each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
This story was originally published January 1, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
