Collision on SR-16 in Tacoma blocks lanes, backs up traffic across Narrows Bridge
Drivers commuting into Tacoma across the Narrows Bridge on Tuesday morning ran into miles of traffic backups after a two-vehicle collision in the eastbound lanes of state Route 16.
The Washington State Department of Transportation reported the collision occurred just before 7 a.m. just after South 19th Street. The three left lanes of state Route 16 were blocked as a result, leaving two right lanes open.
No one was injured, Washington State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Robert Reyer said. He said the driver of a Kia Niro briefly took her eyes off the road, and, when she looked back, cars in front of her were stopped. The driver didn’t have enough time to brake, and she rear-ended a Dodge minivan, sending the vehicle into a concrete barrier.
Reyer said the woman received an infraction for driving too fast for the road conditions. The roadway was wet and the driver was in heavy traffic, he said.
The incident was cleared by about 8 a.m., WSDOT said on Twitter. Traffic was still backed up across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and beyond its toll plaza, the transportation agency said. The backups spanned about five miles.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 7:59 AM.
