Narrows Bridge drivers: Expect delays this weekend for pothole repair
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- WSDOT will close two left westbound lanes Dec. 13 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Drivers from Tacoma to Gig Harbor should expect delays approaching the bridge.
- Crews identified and temporarily filled the pothole in November.
Two left lanes of the westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge will be closed Dec. 13 while crews repair a pothole, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The closure will last from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., per a WSDOT news release. Drivers heading from Tacoma toward Gig Harbor should plan for delays on state Route 16 leading up to the bridge, the release said.
Crews identified the pothole Nov. 19 and temporarily filled it Nov. 20, according to WSDOT.
“The upcoming lane closures are needed to complete a longer-term fix,” the release said.
WSDOT may reschedule the repairs in the event of high winds or heavy rains, according to the release.
The westbound span of the bridge was finished in 1950 and has required many rounds of repairs over the last two years, as reported by The News Tribune. The repairs for the pothole will be in a different spot than repairs completed earlier this year and last year, the release said.
WSDOT spokesperson Cara Mitchell addressed the cause of the pothole in an email Monday.
“The westbound bridge has joints that allow the span to move,” she wrote. “This movement causes wear and tear on the bridge deck pavement, which can result in potholes on the bridge surface. These joints are quickly approaching the end of their usable life.”
In a June 2024 blog post, WSDOT reported that designs have been completed for a project to repair the expansion joints and “extend the useful life of the bridge,” but that work has been delayed until at least 2026 due to a lack of funding.
