Next week, westbound lanes will be closed on the Narrows Bridge – but not during afternoon traffic – Gig Harbor Now

Public transportation

The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to close two westbound lanes of the Tacoma-Narrows Bridge during the day next week.

But don't worry. The department promises to have all lanes clear again in time for the afternoon rush.

WSDOT will conduct what it calls a “routine inspection” of the older of the two Narrows Bridges. The department conducts the inspection every two years and requires daylight to do so.

While lanes are closed for the inspection, WSDOT maintenance crews will repair or replace bolts on some bridge connections and fix any other issues identified during the inspection.

The department plans lane closures for:

• On Monday, September 23rd and Tuesday, September 24th, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the two right lanes of the westbound bridge will be closed. The ramp from Jackson Avenue in Tacoma to westbound Highway 16 will also be closed.
• On Wednesday and Thursday, September 25 and 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the two left lanes of Highway 16 westbound toward the Narrows Bridge will be closed.

The HOV or carpool lane will remain open during the closure.

WSDOT is scheduling the closures so that the lanes will be reopened in time for afternoon traffic.

An emergency closure of two lanes of the West Bridge last winter resulted in long traffic jams for commuters returning home from Tacoma in the afternoon.