State closes two lanes of Narrows Bridge for emergency bridge joint repairs
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge will close two of its westbound lanes indefinitely for emergency repairs, the Washington Department of Transportation announced Wednesday in a press release.
WSDOT bridge crews closed the right two lanes of westbound State Route 16 on the bridge, the release said.
Travel from Tacoma to Gig Harbor is reduced to two lanes, with the HOV lane open for all vehicles while repairs last.
The on-ramp from Jackson Avenue to westbound SR 16 is also closed.
Why is WSDOT closing the lanes?
While crews conducted a bridge joint repair Wednesday, they discovered deterioration on the structure supporting the joint underneath the two right lanes, the release said.
For the safety of all travelers, crews closed the two lanes until a permanent fix can be made.
The bridge is still safe for travel along the open lanes, according to the release.
“WSDOT recognizes that the afternoon commute will be challenging for travelers using SR 16 from Tacoma to Gig Harbor and Kitsap County,” the release said.
Any changes in the construction timeline will be updated by WSDOT.
Drivers can sign up for email updates about work on WSDOT roads in Pierce County, as well as find real-time traveler information from the Travel Center Map.
The 76-year-old Narrows Bridge is no stranger to emergency repairs. Last year, the bridge had three emergency repairs centered around bridge joints.
Chair of the House transportation committee State Rep. Jake Fey estimated it would cost $180 million to conduct short-, mid- and long term repairs.
