State crews clearing encampment, deploying boulders under downtown Tacoma freeway
After closing interstate ramps near downtown Tacoma for maintenance work, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) also will be removing homeless encampments in cooperation with the City of Tacoma.
WSDOT previously announced that the I-705 northbound exit to Schuster Parkway and the SR-509 on-ramps to Schuster Parkway in both directions would be closed March 24-28 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
According to the city, public works staff will manage detours while carrying out graffiti removal, pavement repairs, vegetation management and sign maintenance.
WSDOT spokesperson April Leigh told The News Tribune this is not the first time encampments have been removed from the area.
She said allowing people to stay in the area in-between the railroad tracks and the highway is a “safety issue.”
Leigh said WSDOT has plans to put boulders on the site to prevent people from camping there in the future. WSDOT does not yet know how many boulders it will require or what the cost of the work will be until the job is finished.
The city said its Homeless Engagement Alternatives Liaison (HEAL) team would continue to provide outreach services to those living in homeless encampments in the area through the duration of the work.
City spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune the HEAL Team spoke to six people living in the work area. She said five were interested in assistance, and one was successfully placed in housing.
As of March 25, Lee reported there were no unhoused individuals in the work area.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
