Two of Tacoma’s overpasses to undergo big changes for incoming HOV lanes
Apr 6, 2015, 9:31 PM | Updated: Apr 7, 2015, 5:18 am
Both the Pacific Ave. and McKinley Way overpasses have piers that conflict with the future HOV lanes on I-5 past the Tacoma Dome. The image on the right is an artist rendering of I-5 in 2017.
A major fix on one of the worst chokepoints in the Puget Sound region – I-5 at the Tacoma Dome – begins this week.
The state is adding HOV lanes in both north and southbound lanes through the area. The project between South M Street and East L Street will add another lane through the area and hopefully make the traffic flow better.
“Widening I-5 through there, bringing in HOV lanes for both northbound and southbound, is critical to keep traffic flowing through Tacoma and Pierce County,” said Cara Mitchell, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
However, the Pacific Avenue and McKinley Way overpasses have large piers that are in the way of the new HOV lanes.
“The existing bridge piers for Pacific Avenue are actually right where the expanded lanes of I-5 are going to eventually be built, so we need to remove those bridge piers, and in order to do that, we need to rebuild the overpass,” Mitchell said.
Work to tear down the Pacific Avenue overpass was scheduled to begin Monday night. It’s expected to reopen in about 18 months.
“You will have a four-lane overpass, just as it is today, with expanded pedestrian passage,” he said. “It will have great upgrades for people who walk or ride their bicycles. It will have a new 14-foot-wide shared-use path.”
Once Pacific Avenue is complete, the contractor will start taking down the McKinley Way overpass. In about three years, drivers will have new overpasses and HOV lanes through Tacoma.
Meanwhile, drivers through the area can expect 11 months worth of detours and delays.
