Community Transportation

Westbound Narrows Bridge lane closures coming next week — but not during the afternoon commute

The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to close two westbound lanes on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge during daytime hours next week.

But don’t worry. The department promises to have all lanes open in time for the afternoon commute.

WSDOT will conduct what it called a “routine inspection” of the elder of the two Narrows Bridges. The department performs the inspection every two years and needs daylight to do it.

While the lanes are closed for inspection, WSDOT maintenance teams will repair or replace bolts on some bridge joints, along with any other issues the inspection turns up.

The department plans lane closures for:

• From 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, and Tuesday, Sept. 24, the right two lanes of the westbound bridge will be closed. The ramp from Jackson Avenue in Tacoma to westbound Highway 16 also will close.
• From 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 25 and 26, the left two lanes of westbound Highway 16 approaching the Narrows Bridge will close.

The HOV, or carpool, lane will remain open during the closures.

WSDOT is timing the closures to have lanes back open in time for the afternoon commute.

An emergency closure of two lanes of the westbound bridge last winter caused long backups for afternoon commuters trying to get home from Tacoma.