What’s causing the lengthy backups approaching the Narrows Bridge?
Drivers heading across the westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge toward Gig Harbor are stuck in some slow-moving traffic Friday afternoon.
Backups from Tacoma extend at least five miles on state Route 16 approaching the bridge. Traffic also appears to be spilling into other local streets criss-crossing the city, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation’s real-time travel map.
As of 3:50 p.m., Google Maps indicates a trip from the Tacoma Dome to downtown Gig Harbor could take close to 40 minutes.
The bridge’s two right lanes are closed from 8 a.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday, according to a state Department of Transportation news release. The closure allows crews to fix an expansion joint on the aging bridge, which was built in 1950 and has required several temporary repairs over the last year, The News Tribune reported. The HOV lane remains open to all travelers.
“We’d do all the repairs over the weekend if we could,” WSDOT said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “Unfortunately, we’re on a tight schedule with the few folks who can do the work under the bridge deck, hundreds of feet above the water line. Expect major backups during the Friday afternoon commute.”
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 3:59 PM.
