Trucking data shows the drive past the Tacoma Dome, once a nightmare, is getting better
For decades, the stretch of Interstate 5 between Interstate 705 and state Route 16 was a traffic bottleneck consistently ranked as one of the worst in the nation, according to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), which tracks data for the trucking industry.
No more.
In the group’s 2023 tally, the Tacoma bottleneck fell 42 positions from 2022. It now ranks as No. 78, down from No. 36 in 2022.
The average speed was tallied at 47.3 miles per hour with peak average speed up 9.3 percent.
To get the data, ATRI used GPS data from over 1 million freight trucks.
The state Department of Transportation attributes the improved traffic conditions to the opening of HOV lanes, collector-distributor lanes and the addition of new general purpose lanes on northbound I-5.
The project opened in August after 22 years of construction.
Other Washington bottlenecks
Coming in at No. 31 on the list is I-5 in Vancouver. Average speeds there have decreased 8 percent in the past year.
In Seattle, I-5 at I-90 was ranked at No. 49.
State Route 18 at I-5 came in at No. 68 with Route 18 at state Route 167 tailgating closely behind at No. 69.
Also in Seattle, I-5 at I-405 was ranked at No. 88 in the top 100 list.
Worst in the U.S.
The next time you’re stuck in a slowdown on a Washington bottle, you’ll still be better off than drivers in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The bottleneck at Interstate 95 and state Route 4 there ranks No. 1 on the list with an average speed of 26.8 miles per hour.
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
