Drivers traveling eastbound on State Route 516 in Kent on the West Hill will need to be aware of a temporary change in how they enter northbound Interstate 5.
Beginning 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, the existing eastbound SR 516 loop ramp to northbound I-5 will close for four months. Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will rebuild the ramp as part of the SR 509 Completion Project.
While the ramp is closed, drivers will be redirected to a temporary left turn lane and traffic signal just east of the I-5 overpass beginning at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19. This will allow eastbound travelers to safely turn left across SR 516 and enter a temporary ramp to northbound I-5, according to a WSDOT news release.
“There may be a bit of a learning curve for drivers,” said WSDOT project engineer Ward Anderson. “Eastbound SR 516 drivers are used to staying in the right lane to take the ramp to northbound I-5. Now, they’ll need to remember to stay left and then get in that temporary left turn lane.”
Signs warning travelers to stay to the left will be posted.
The existing loop ramp is being rebuilt so that its entrance will align with an intersection where other ramps to and from northbound I-5 will be located. It will also remove some of the sharp curve in the ramp.
SR 509 project
Improvements at the I-5/SR 516 interchange are part of the SR 509 Completion Project. The project builds 3 miles of new tolled highway between I-5 and South 188th Street near the south end of Sea-Tac Airport. The new highway will be completed in stages. The portion under construction between I-5 and 24th Avenue is scheduled to open in 2025. The final stage will build the remaining 2 miles of the expressway between 24th Avenue South and South 188th Street. The entire project is planned for completion by 2029.
The SR 509 Completion Project is part of WSDOT’s Puget Sound Gateway Program, which also includes the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County. The two projects finish critical missing links in Washington’s highway and freight network.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
E-Wallet Purchase (Add Funds)
Term Subscription