Paving project will cause Narrows bridge delays

Drivers who use the state Route 16 over the Narrows bridges are encouraged to plan ahead for weekend and weeknight delays in late August and early September.

During the weekends of Aug. 26 to 29 and Sept. 9 to 12, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will reduce SR-16 to two lanes in each direction at the Narrows bridge for bridge paving.

To keep traffic moving, the eastbound lanes of the bridge will be used to carry both eastbound and westbound traffic across the Narrows.

“Repaving both bridges is quite an undertaking,” WSDOT project engineer Gaius Sanoy said in a release. “We appreciate drivers’ patience as we work to take care of these key routes over the Narrows.”

Weekend closure details include:

▪ SR-16 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction at the Narrows over the weekends of Aug. 26 and Sept. 9.

▪ Reducing eastbound SR-16 to two lanes will occur in phases starting at 6 p.m. each Friday.

▪ The two westbound SR-16 lanes will be detoured onto the eastbound bridge. That shift will also occur in phases starting at 8 p.m. each Friday.

▪ Crews will close the 24th Street on-ramp to eastbound SR-16 and the westbound SR-16 exit to 24th Street. The Jackson Street on-ramp to westbound SR-16 may also need to be closed. The ramps will be closed at 7 p.m. each Friday.

▪ The highway speed limit will be temporarily reduced at the bridge over both weekends from 60 mph to 35 mph.

▪ All lanes and ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. each following Monday morning.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Paving project will cause Narrows bridge delays."