Drivers should expect delays on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge this weekend during repairs
Drivers traveling from Tacoma to Gig Harbor should expect delays this weekend.
The right two lanes approaching the westbound state Route 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge will be closed from 4 a.m. Saturday, June 15 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16, the Washington State Department of Transportation posted on social media Tuesday morning. The ramp from Jackson Avenue to the highway will also be closed.
The remaining lanes, including the HOV lane, will be safe and available to all drivers during the closures.
“The timing for lane closures on either span of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge can be complicated,” WSDOT said in a news release. “While these lane closures will occur during Father’s Day weekend, the work must be done at that time to help keep the bridge in good working order.”
According to the release, crews found cracks in an expansion joint on the bridge in a recent inspection. Expansion joints allow bridges to naturally expand and contract due to changes in temperature or other forces.
The expansion joint of concern is different from the one that required multiple days of emergency closures in May.
Once the repair is complete, crews will pour new concrete that requires time to cure, according to the release. During this time, drivers may see little to no activity at the work site while lanes remain closed.
WSDOT encouraged drivers to factor in additional travel time and consider combining or postponing trips when possible.
