New I-5 lanes open near notorious Tacoma Dome crawl

South Sound drivers are seeing big changes on Interstate 5 near the Tacoma Dome – an area rated one of the worst traffic crawls in the nation. Newly built NB I-5 lanes opened early Thursday morning.

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The new lanes go over I-705, where a new northbound bridge is under construction for that interstate.

Puget Sound has five of the top 21 worst traffic bottlenecks in the nation, says the American Transportation Research Institute, a Virginia-based nonprofit research organization.

Bottlenecks — traffic slowdowns caused by outdated, inadequate or temporary roadways — can bring freeway traffic to a snail’s pace when volumes get high.

The stretch of Interstate 5 in Tacoma between Interstate 705 and state Route 16 is among the worst traffic bottlenecks in the nation, according to that trucking research group.

Thursday’s transition is part of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s ongoing HOV project through this part of the South Sound.

Drivers are asked to plan ahead and be prepared for some confusion as commuters adjust to the new configuration.

Changes are also coming for commuters heading southbound on I-5 in the area. Starting on Friday, the southbound lanes just south of Portland Avenue will be reconfigured into two roadways separated by a barrier.

The change is temporary, but drivers should expect some delays.