Fire closed this well-used Tacoma off-ramp in March. It might reopen soon, city says
A project to repair a well-used Tacoma off-ramp damaged by fire is now at the halfway point, according to city officials.
The Feb. 27 fire damaged the South Union Avenue off-ramp to South Tacoma Way so severely it was closed in early March.
The city has contracted with Quigg Bros. of Aberdeen to repair the damage caused by the fire that began in a homeless encampment underneath the southbound off-ramp. Repairs began Sept. 1, according to Dan Seabrands, who oversees the city’s bridges.
City spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune the fire caused delamination and degradation of the structure’s girders. Similar damage occurred to the off-ramp’s abutments. Flames also destroyed the rubber elastomeric bearing pads that the girders rest on as well as the structure’s expansion joints
A new pedestrian hand rail is being fabricated for the off-ramp.
“City staff anticipates the remaining work items will be completed by the end of October,” Lee said. The street will reopen at that time.
The budget for the project is $750,000 to $1 million, according to Seabrands. The final cost will be determined by the extent of damage and repairs needed.
At the time of the fire, Tacoma Fire Department spokesman Joe Meinecke told The News Tribune that crews found hand-built structures, piles of debris with mattresses and tires on fire when they arrived on the scene. There were no witnesses and the fire department was not able to determine how the fire started, he said.
