Girder setting on the new eastbound Nalley Valley permanent viaduct will require the Washington State Department of Transportation to close eastbound State Route 16 and the Union Avenue on-ramp close over five nights.

At 11 p.m. on both Weds., March 20 and Thurs., March 21, crews will close all lanes of eastbound State Route 16 at Union Avenue. They will also close the Union Avenue on-ramp to eastbound State Route 16. The ramp and roadway will reopen by 4 a.m. each following morning. The total closure is needed to create a construction zone for the cranes that will set the girders.

From 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. on Sat., March 23, crews will also close eastbound State Route 16 at Union Avenue and the Union Avenue on-ramp to eastbound State Route 16.

The total eastbound closure and the Union on-ramp closure will occur again from 11 p.m. Weds., March 27, to 4 a.m. Thurs., March 28.

This work is part of I-5/State Route 16 Eastbound Nalley Valley project, which replaces the original eastbound SR 16 structure that spanned Nalley Valley and completes the State Route 16/Sprague Avenue interchange. The first portion of the interchange overhaul, the westbound Nalley Valley viaduct, opened June 2011.

More information is available online here.

UPDATE: Weds., March 20 @ 9:37 a.m. — WSDOT provides the following update:

A forecast for high winds has cancelled a closure of eastbound State Route 16 scheduled for tonight, Wednesday, March 20.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will continue to monitor weather forecasts to determine if subsequent closures scheduled for Thurs., March 21 and Sat., March 23 will still occur. If they do, motorists can expect a full closure of eastbound SR 16 at Union Avenue from 11 p.m. Thursday, March 21 to 4 a.m. Friday, March 22 and from 12:30 to 5:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23. During these closures, weather permitting, the on-ramp from Union Avenue to eastbound SR 16 will also close. These closures will occur again from 11 p.m. Weds., March 27, to 4 a.m. Thurs., March 28.

These closures are necessary for girder setting work for the I-5/SR 16 Eastbound Nalley Valley project, which replaces the original eastbound SR 16 structure that spanned Nalley Valley and completes the SR 16/Sprague Avenue interchange. The first portion of the interchange overhaul, the westbound Nalley Valley viaduct, opened June 2011.

Drivers can check travel conditions by downloading the WSDOT mobile app, visiting the Tacoma traffic page, or by dialing 5-1-1.