If you’re driving from Tacoma to Gig Harbor on Saturday, October 3, allow extra time. WSDOT plans to close the two left lanes of the westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Crews will work beneath the bridge deck to replace a joint bearing; the advisory does not call for a full bridge closure.
It will be the fourth emergency repair on the westbound bridge this year. A different joint needs a larger repair later in October, when WSDOT expects two lanes to remain closed around the clock for roughly two weeks. The agency has not set a start date for that work, so it is separate from Saturday’s closure.
Drivers using I-5 through Fife face another slowdown Saturday night into Sunday morning. Up to two left lanes in each direction will close between 20th Street Drive East and Exit 137. The northbound closures begin at 7 and 8 p.m. and end by 9:30 a.m. Sunday; the southbound closures begin at 8 and 9:30 p.m. and end by 9 a.m. Exits 136, 136A and 136B will stay open.
In Parkland, WSDOT also lists overnight work on the ramp from SR 7 to eastbound SR 512. Its posted Friday work window runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday. That may matter if your weekend route crosses the south end of town as well as the bridge or I-5.
The practical takeaway: check the whole route before leaving, especially if your trip crosses more than one work zone. The bridge repair is scheduled for daytime Saturday, while the Fife restrictions are overnight. For any last-minute changes, use WSDOT’s live travel map.
Discover more of Tacoma in today’s Tacoma Local Minute. Catch the rest of today’s local news, events, and updates in the full issue here.