One of Pierce County’s most anticipated stretches of pavement is finally carrying traffic.

The first two miles of the new SR 167 Expressway opened Sunday, creating a direct connection between Interstate 5 in Fife and SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma. Drivers can enter or leave the expressway at I-5, 54th Avenue East and SR 509.

For Tacoma-area drivers, the immediate benefit is a new way to travel between I-5 and the Port without relying entirely on the busy network of surface streets winding through Fife. The highway is also intended to give trucks moving freight to and from the Port a more direct route.

There is one important catch: This is only the first piece of a much larger project.

The full SR 167 Completion Project will eventually create six miles of new highway between the Port of Tacoma and the point where the existing SR 167 ends at North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup. For now, the four-mile section east of I-5 remains under construction and is expected to open in 2029.

That means the new road currently provides a connection between the Port area and I-5—not yet a continuous highway between Tacoma and Puyallup.

The I-5 connection includes a diverging-diamond interchange, a design that temporarily directs traffic onto the opposite side of the roadway between two signalized intersections.

Although that may sound alarming, barriers, traffic signals and lane markings guide drivers through it. The design allows motorists to enter the expressway without making a conventional left turn across oncoming traffic, reducing potential conflict points and helping vehicles move through the interchange more efficiently.

Fife officials are urging drivers to slow down and pay close attention to the signs while becoming familiar with the new configuration.

The best news for curious drivers is that the new road will remain free for nearly three months.

Toll collection is scheduled to begin in December. Once it does, drivers with a Good To Go! pass will pay $1 in each direction for the section west of I-5. All lanes on the new expressway will eventually be tolled; it is not simply an optional express lane alongside free general-purpose lanes.

The toll-free opening period gives drivers time to test the route and determine whether it makes their trips faster before deciding if the future charge is worthwhile.

When the remaining section east of I-5 opens, its toll will vary by time of day. The entire completed expressway will ultimately extend from SR 509 near the Port to the existing SR 167 in Puyallup.

The larger project will also include the 12-mile spuyaləpabš Trail, a shared-use route for people walking, bicycling and rolling. The trail will feature work by Coast Salish artists and connect communities along the new highway corridor.

For now, though, Pierce County drivers have something they have not had before: a brand-new route between I-5 and the Port—and a limited opportunity to see whether it improves their trip without paying a toll.

Learn more about the new expressway and current access points here.