State Route 16 drivers: Expect delays as crews work on new bridge west of the Narrows
Crews continue to make progress on state Route 16 culvert removals.
Next up is work that will affect eastbound state Route 16 drivers traveling from Port Orchard to Gig Harbor.
If weather allows, from 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 to 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, drivers can expect delays as crews move eastbound traffic into the paved median in order for them to build the second bridge of the project, near milepost 18.
“During this time, travelers will see single-lane closures and a rolling slowdown for the shift,” according to a Sept. 26 press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. “Travelers can expect to wait for up to 20 minutes during the rolling slowdown.”
Drivers will see a speed limit reduction from 60 mph to 45 mph in the area after traffic has been completely shifted to the median.
“The temporary lane configuration and reduced speed limit will remain in place until the bridge is complete in fall 2024,” according to the press release.
The paved median lanes drivers will be using during construction “will sit about 10 feet lower than the westbound bridge,” the press release said.
Single-lane closures will continue on eastbound state Route 16 weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m with possible westbound single-lane closures weeknights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. until fall 2024.
In an effort to improve the fish habitat in Purdy Creek, WSDOT identified three culvert barriers to remove near Gig Harbor.
Two are under state Route 16, between mile post 17 and 18, where the creek meets state Route 16.
They are both 40-year-old fish barriers, being replaced with large bridge structures that are 206 feet long to improve the fish habitat in the creek, Angela Cochran, a communications consultant for WSDOT previously told the Gateway.
Crews finished the first bridge in August on westbound SR 16 and drivers are able to use it.
Progress on the rest of the project
WSDOT will also remove a third old culvert barrier in Purdy Creek under state Route 302 (Purdy Drive) that is challenging for fish to swim through.
Crews began to replace the old culvert with a new 77-foot-long bridge structure in April.
“The SR 302 Spur remains closed between Purdy Lane Northwest and 144th Street Northwest,” a July 31 WSDOT press release said. “Earlier this month, crews finished installing the piers for the bridge that will replace the culvert under the road.”
Work is expected to be complete by the end of the year, according to the press release.
