Traffic this week: Bridge demolition in Fife brings closures on State Route 99
Jan 21, 2025, 12:51 PM | Updated: 3:07 pm
An outline of the SR 167 Completion Project that spans through Fife. (Image courtesy of WSDOT)
(Image courtesy of WSDOT)
Beginning Tuesday evening, commuters on State Route (SR) 99 in Fife will have a 42-hour lane closure in the southbound direction. Contractors working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will demolish the old Hylebos Creek bridge.
During this time, drivers heading south will be directed to the southbound lane on the new bridge adjacent to the old bridge, allowing traffic to continue through Fife. The lane closure, between 70th Avenue East to the Wapato Way roundabout is a short quarter-mile distance. Work is scheduled Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. through Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.
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Once the old bridge is demolished, crews will need to backfill and pave the area before they can reopen the second southbound lane late Thursday afternoon. Northbound SR 99 has already been shifted to a bypass route through the construction zone and isn’t expected to shift to the new bridge until mid-February. Crews still need to work on curbs, gutters and sidewalks before the northbound lanes are complete.
The new configuration on Tuesday evening, combined with a reduced speed limit through the construction zone, will ultimately cause traffic to slow and potentially lead to large backups during peak hours of travel. WSDOT has told drivers to allow extra travel time or consider using alternate routes, particularly during the afternoon hours.
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The new bridge and recent reconfiguration of Hylebos Creek is one stage of the SR 167 Completion Project that will bring 6 miles of new tolled highway between Puyallup and the Port of Tacoma.
This portion between Interstate 5 (I-5) and the Port of Tacoma is scheduled to open in 2026 and aims to ease congestion for daily commuters while offering direct access to the Port of Tacoma for freight drivers. The entire project has a 2030 completion date.
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Nate’s stories here. Follow Nate on X and email him here. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.
