The Tacoma Narrows Bridge project will build a new 24th Street on-ramp to eastbound SR 16.

The decision to build the ramp was made after study and review that included analyzing the ramp’s potential traffic effects to eastbound SR 16 traffic, completing environmental addenda to the existing SR 16 Environmental Impact Statement, analyzing design criteria and costs, and assessing public opinion about an added ramp.

“The community really told us they favored adding in this ramp,” said Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald. “We needed to study the issue and make sure it made sense for the bridge, which it does.”

Senator Bob Oke agreed. “Over the years, people have said in jest that I’ve become a regular engineer on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge project,” Oke said. “Well, one day I was at the site and saw the backup and people having to go north to go south, and I said wait a minute, there may be better option here. I promoted the idea of adding a 24th Street on-ramp because I know it will immensely benefit the citizens and greatly ease the flow of traffic on secondary streets of Gig Harbor and approaching the bridge.”

The ramp will be restricted to motorists paying tolls electronically because traffic using the ramp will enter the toll plaza east of the tollbooths. The 24th Street NW ramp will be metered during peak morning commute hours and other times as necessary along with the other five eastbound on-ramps between SR 302 (Purdy) and the bridge.

Construction of the new on-ramp will begin this summer. The ramp will open to traffic simultaneously with the new bridge opening in April 2007. Design-builder Tacoma Narrows Constructors will design and build the ramp under a change order to the original bridge contract.

The cost of adding the ramp is expected to be about $7.5 million and it will be funded from unused contingency amounts provided for in the project’s original estimated $849 million cost.

For more information on the new bridge, visit http://www.tacomanarrowsbridge.com .