WSDOT breaks ground on latest I-5 HOV project in Tacoma

Local officials gathered Wednesday in Tacoma for a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s most recent Interstate 5 high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) project in Tacoma.

Once complete, motorists will enjoy another two miles of HOV lanes on northbound Interstate 5 that will start in Tacoma and join with existing HOV lanes in Fife. The centerpiece of this project will be a new northbound Interstate 5 bridge over the Puyallup River. Additional benefits include a straighter segment of northbound Interstate 5 over the Puyallup River; wider shoulders; improved safety barrier and lighting; and added and improved technology that allows the Washington State Department of Transportation to manage traffic and relay roadway information to drivers.

“This project is building a key link in our expanding HOV system in Pierce County,” said Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson. “We’re continuing to make gains on our efforts to not only improve traffic flow for I-5 users, but also to give them viable alternatives to driving alone.”

This project is one piece of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s overall effort to build HOV lanes on Interstate 5 and State Route 16 and State Route 167 in Pierce County. It was July 2014 when a similar groundbreaking ceremony was hosted for the adjacent Interstate 5 / M Street to Portland Avenue HOV project that currently is under construction. Residents, businesses, and travelers can anticipate three years of construction while both projects are built simultaneously.

More information about the project is available online here.