Community Transportation

Eastbound Highway 16 to close over two nights near Purdy on Feb. 23, Feb. 24

Posted on February 21st, 2024 By:

Both eastbound and one westbound lane of Highway 16 will be closed near Purdy over the weekend for placement of support beams for a new bridge.

The lanes will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, to 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24; and 9 p.m. Saturday to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 25.

The eastbound bridge support beams will be the same size as those shown here that were placed on the westbound bridge in April 2023.

The eastbound lanes, toward Tacoma, will be closed at the Highway 302 exit. Drivers will detour via the Highway 302 spur/Purdy Drive. Westbound Highway 16 will reduce to one lane from 144th Street to the Highway 302 on-ramp.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will deliver and place six concrete bridge girders that are each more than 200 feet long. The size of the girders and the equipment needed to place them require closing all eastbound lanes.

The left westbound lane will also close so the trucks carrying the girders can get to the work zone. The westbound bridge was completed late last summer. The bridges are replacing a fish-blocking pipe culvert under the highway.