Prepare for 10-mile backups as construction closes state Route 167 later this month
The state is warning drivers that state Route 167 construction later this month could add at least 90 minutes of travel time from Sumner to Pacific.
The Department of Transportation is closing four miles of northbound traffic on state Route 167 from 8:30 p.m. Aug. 20 to 4 a.m. Aug. 23.
The highway closure will begin at the state Route 410 interchange in Sumner and end at 8th Street East in Pacific, WSDOT communications manager Cara Mitchell said in a release. The 24th Street East on-ramp to northbound state Route 167 also will be closed.
There will be detours. Cars and trucks will be rerouted to Fryar and 142nd avenues. Cars also have the option to take Sumner-Tapps Highway East.
Detour backups are expected to reach 10 miles, according to WSDOT traffic engineers.
During the weekend closure, construction crews will be laying the groundwork for a new northbound “high occupancy vehicle,” or HOV, lane.
The weekend will be spent modifying bridge decks to add the new lane. More roadway surface will be added and bridge drainage will be modified, Mitchell said. The four-mile shutdown allows the added roadway surface time to cure.
Travel data from WSDOT estimates state Route 167 sees an average of 57,000 daily vehicles.
The new HOV lane is scheduled to open next spring and will transition into an express toll lane “at a future date.”
“The northbound HOV lane will help maximize the movement of people and improve travel times in the corridor,” Mitchell said.
Because of the backup, WSDOT has encouraged drivers to only travel if necessary, travel earlier in the day or later in the evening and use public transit or carpool.
The state Route 167 closure is expected to cause increased congestion on westbound state Route 410 and other northbound routes such as Interstate 5, state Route 161 and state Route 99 between Pierce and King counties, Mitchell said.
Traffic alerts and highway conditions can be found on WSDOT’s website.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
