Local politicians in Pierce County, Washington, recently broke ground on the final stage of the SR 167 Expressway project, part of a $2.83 billion highway upgrade.
This fourth and final stage will construct 2.6 miles of the expressway between North Meridian Avenue and I-5, completing Washington State DOT’s portion of the spuyaləpabš Trail and the SR 161/North Meridian Avenue and I-5 diverging diamond interchanges.
The final corridor is set to open in September 2029 to give freight traffic a more direct link to and from the Port of Tacoma and reduce truck traffic on streets. The $475 million contract was awarded to a Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture.
Previous portions of the SR167 project include:
- Stage 1a: Built the Wapato Way East bridge and a new multi-lane roundabout connecting SR 99 and Wapato Way, opened in June 2021.
- Stage 1b: Ongoing construction of 2 miles of the SR 167 Expressway between I-5 and SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma, including interchanges at SR 509, 54th Avenue East and a new diverging diamond interchange over I-5, scheduled to open September 2026.
- Stage 2a: Ongoing widening of SR 167 between North Meridian Avenue and SR 410, building a diverging diamond interchange at North Meridian Avenue and continuing construction on a segment of the spuyaləpabš Trail, set to open in September 2029.
The entire SR 167 Expressway project falls under WSDOT’s $2.83 billion Puget Sound Gateway Program, which also contains the SR 509 Completion Project in King County. That second project, like the SR 167 Expressway, is designed to create links in Washington’s highway system and improve freight routes.
