Two Weeks of Narrows Bridge Lane Closures Are Coming

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge’s next major repair will require more than an overnight closure or a single slow Saturday. WSDOT expects work on the older, westbound span to close two lanes around the clock for roughly two weeks this October. The affected lanes are the two right lanes heading toward Gig Harbor, and the Jackson Avenue on-ramp to westbound SR 16 will also close. A start date has not yet been announced.

The problem involves the bridge’s aging expansion joints—the steel components that allow sections of the structure to move. Three of its four large joints near the towers are nearing the end of their useful life. Crews have repeatedly patched them, but one section now needs a more extensive temporary repair. WSDOT has been working with a local steel fabricator to produce a partial replacement while a broader joint-replacement project is prepared for 2027.

Much of the upcoming work will happen underneath the roadway, so an apparently quiet work zone won’t necessarily mean repairs have stopped. WSDOT says the confined workspace high above the water requires daylight, and crews will need time afterward to observe how the bridge responds before reopening lanes. The agency says the lanes that remain open are safe for travel, but drivers should expect substantial backups, particularly during the afternoon commute.

For commuters, the useful step now is to consider whether trips can shift outside the busiest hours and allow extra time once the work begins. Check highway message signs and WSDOT’s live traffic map before leaving, rather than relying on a familiar travel time. WSDOT’s explanation of the upcoming bridge work covers the repair, the longer-term plans and why temporarily switching traffic between the two spans is more complicated than it might appear.

Other nearby work could affect trips this week, too. The City of Fife’s WSDOT project update lists overnight SR 509 lane reductions between Alexander Avenue East and Taylor Way East on October 14 and 15, from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. One lane in each direction will remain open. On Thursday night, October 15, one lane of I-5 in each direction will close between the Port of Tacoma Road area and the South 375th Street overpass: northbound from 7 p.m.–4:30 a.m. and southbound from 7:30 p.m.–6 a.m. Four lanes will remain open in each direction.