Fife Port of Tacoma Road project brings summer traffic changes

Construction at Fife’s Port of Tacoma Road interchange moved into its active summer phase in 2026, bringing lane shifts, overnight restrictions, bridge closures and detours for drivers, freight operators, transit riders, nearby businesses and residents.

The City of Fife’s June 16 kickoff update marked the transition into initial construction for the Port of Tacoma Road Phase 2A project. Early work included erosion-control measures, followed by traffic adjustments scheduled for July. The work is being carried out in stages, so the restrictions are temporary construction impacts rather than permanent changes to the road network.

What changed during July

City notices scheduled intermittent I-5 shoulder closures near Port of Tacoma Road on July 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10, generally between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. During the same period, a portion of westbound 20th Street East was scheduled to close during daytime work hours, with flaggers maintaining alternating two-way traffic. The northern shoulder of Exit 136 was also restricted during portions of July 7-10.

The most significant restrictions were scheduled for the overnight periods of July 11-12 and July 18-19. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, northbound I-5 lanes began closing at 7 p.m. on those Saturdays, with a full northbound closure scheduled by 11 p.m. The Port of Tacoma Road bridge over I-5 was closed in both directions from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., and northbound Exit 136B to Port of Tacoma Road was also closed. Exit 136A remained open.

During the full closures, travelers were directed to use 20th Street East and Pacific Highway East. The City of Fife and WSDOT warned that weather or construction conditions could require the work to be rescheduled, so current notices remain important for people planning overnight or weekend trips through the interchange.

What Phase 2A is intended to build

Phase 2A calls for a new bridge over I-5 and a redesigned interchange using Port of Tacoma Road for southbound traffic and 34th Avenue East for northbound traffic. The planned one-way configuration is intended to increase interchange capacity between 20th Street East and 12th Street East and improve movement through an area used by freight and local traffic.

The planned work also includes a pedestrian and bicycle route across I-5, missing sidewalk connections, ADA ramps, lighting and stormwater facilities. Those features are project elements still being built or planned; they are not completed improvements. The city describes the broader design as a way to improve freight and business access while creating safer walking and bicycling connections and better multimodal access around the interchange.

How the work fits the broader SR 167 project

Fife’s Phase 2A project is related to, but separate from, WSDOT’s broader SR 167 Completion Project. WSDOT’s final-stage construction in Pierce County includes related facilities and may create additional travel impacts beyond the immediate Port of Tacoma Road work. Regional travelers should not assume that a route clear of one closure will be clear of all SR 167 construction.

What remains ahead

The Tacoma News Tribune reported that construction was then expected to continue through July 2029. That is a projected schedule, not a guaranteed completion date, and future traffic stages may change as construction progresses.

For Fife residents, commuters, freight operators and nearby businesses, the practical takeaway is to check current City of Fife and WSDOT traffic notices before traveling through Port of Tacoma Road, the I-5 interchange, 34th Avenue East or nearby local streets. Overnight and weekend work windows may require extra route planning even when the long-term changes are intended to improve capacity, safety and multimodal connections.

Sources

• City of Fife project kickoff update
• WSDOT Fife travel advisory
• Tacoma News Tribune traffic report