Good news: new intersection opening soon. Bad news: road closures upcoming
A newly configured intersection at State Route 509 and Alexander Avenue East in Tacoma will open Monday, June 1, but not before some overnight road closures.
The work to reduce the intersections from two to one is part of Washington State Department of Transportation’s SR 167 Completion Project. The 167 project and the SR 509 Completion Project in King County are costing taxpayers approximately $2.83 billion and are expected to be finished by 2030, according to the WSDOT website.
The WSDOT hopes the simplified intersection will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion near the Port of Tacoma.
But that will mean some headaches this weekend for anyone who travels that way overnight.
Here’s what you need to know:
- From 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 28 to 4 a.m. Friday, May 29: Crews will close all northbound lanes of SR 509 from Port of Tacoma Road to Taylor Way East. Both Alexander Avenue intersections will also be closed.
- From 8 p.m. Friday, May 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 1: Crews will close all southbound lanes of SR 509 and one lane of northbound SR 509 between Taylor Way East and Port of Tacoma Road.
- Both Alexander Avenue East intersections with SR 509 will be closed at the same time, except one northbound SR 509 through lane.
Detours will be set up. All work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled.
Once it’s complete and open, drivers and pedestrians will see “prepare to stop when flashing” signs, new sidewalks and a pedestrian bridge.
“It will feel familiar to drivers because it’s now a more traditional intersection and manages traffic flow more efficiently,” Project Engineer Tom Slimak said in a news release. “Being so close to the Port of Tacoma, large freight trucks used this intersection frequently and took up a lot of the space on Alexander Avenue East between north and southbound SR 509. There wasn’t much room for anyone else. This is going to reduce that congestion.”
