Both directions along the 6-mile stretch of SR 167 near Auburn reopen after extended closure
Dec 19, 2025, 2:56 PM | Updated: 3:44 pm
A photo of water on the State Route 167 roadway between Kent and Auburn. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation)
(Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation)
The six-mile stretch of State Route (SR) 167 and its on-ramps reopened between Kent and Auburn on Friday after it was closed due to rising floodwaters from the Green River.
At approximately 2:50 p.m., the City of Kent announced that northbound 167 and its on-ramps had reopened between S. 212th Street in Kent and 15th Street N.W. in Auburn.
WSDOT crews previously placed sandbags and pumped water off the roadway on Wednesday, with no initial estimates for when the northbound SR 167 lanes and on-ramps would be reopened.
The northbound on-ramp closures included SR 167 from SR 18, SR 167 from 15th Street N.W., and SR 167 from S. 277th Street.
WSDOT previously advised travelers to seek alternate routes during the extended closure and add extra time to their commute as lengthy delays were expected along Interstate 5, 405, and other alternate routes.
UPDATE 5: Southbound SR 167 is OPEN between S 212th St in Kent & 15th St NW in Auburn.
Northbound SR 167 remains CLOSED in this area due to water on the roadway.
Our crews are placing sandbags and pumping water off the roadway. There is no ETA for reopening NB SR 167 lanes. https://t.co/X1laYOF7DN pic.twitter.com/mvkssIpIcE
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) December 17, 2025
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SR 167 closes again after WSDOT’s overnight efforts
Just after 5:30 a.m. Monday morning, WSDOT reported via Facebook that southbound SR 167 and its on-ramps had reopened after crews worked all of Sunday and throughout the night. Hundreds of oversized sandbags were placed to redirect the floodwaters.
At the time, northbound SR 167 remained closed due to standing water on the highway.
WSDOT urged travelers to seek alternate routes during the closures.
“Crews have worked hard to reopen roads around the state this weekend, but some remain closed,” WSDOT stated. “With more rain in the forecast, some roads might close again.”
Real-time updates on road closures and conditions can be found here.
This story was originally published on December 17, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.
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