Renton to Bellevue project update: New timeline

With this year's busy summer construction season behind us, we're taking stock of the progress made on the I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project – and what's still ahead. And that includes a revised timeline.

Summer is the most productive time of year for construction in our region. Dry weather creates the right conditions for paving, pouring concrete and other activities that don't mix well with rain. Many types of work simply can't happen during the wet and cold months, so summer is when significant progress is made on much of our work.

For some time, we've been sharing that this project could be ready for use as early as the end of 2025, based on the contractor's contractual date. At this point, while there is no updated construction schedule from the contractor that we have approved, we do know that the end of 2025 is no longer achievable.

Unfortunately, the contractor is not delivering on schedule. WSDOT is doing everything possible to hold the contractor accountable, including taking them to court. That litigation is ongoing.

Based on this summer's progress, we've updated our forecast. We're currently targeting summer 2027 to open the project to traffic. Construction has moved slower than planned, and the contractor has not met key milestones in the contract. At this time, we're continuing to work closely with them to find ways to speed up the schedule while ensuring the project is completed safely, and to the high standard the public deserves.

The improvements from this project will offer more reliable travel choices – helping drivers, transit riders and freight move more efficiently through one of the state's busiest corridors. We know this is disappointing news for those who've been waiting for construction to wrap up and the project's benefits to be realized.

What happens next?

The Renton to Bellevue project is a design-build contract where we hire one company to design and construct the finished product all under a single contract. We are in active litigation with the design-build contractor following delays to the project's completion and claims by the contractor for additional payment that we don't believe are allowed under the contract. Our lawsuit asks the court to determine whether the contractor's claims are valid and seeks compensation from the contractor for failure to complete the project on time.

We do not take the decision to go to court lightly, and it rarely happens. Legal action is never our first choice. We aim to resolve issues through collaboration whenever possible, but we also have a responsibility to safeguard public resources and ensure accountability. We're committed to making sure all contractual obligations are met and the public interest, including financial accountability, is protected.

We will keep the community, and our public agency partners, updated on any new schedule information as it becomes available. Stay informed by subscribing to I-405/SR 167 Program email updates.

Answering your questions about the SR 167 Completion Project

By: Lizzy Buechel

Heading into winter, the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County is showing no signs of slowing down. Through summer and early fall we spoke about the project with people who attended local fairs and festivals. Thousands visited our online open house. We also received great questions through our construction hotline and project email. Keep reading to review information and responses to some of the most frequently asked questions we’ve heard.

Tolling the SR 167 Expressway between Puyallup and Tacoma

When complete, you can take the SR 167 Expressway from SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma to SR 167 where it currently ends at North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup. All lanes on the new SR 167 Expressway will be tolled using two electronic toll points. One toll point will be located just west of I-5. The other will be just east of I-5.

On the east side, between North Meridian Avenue and I-5, you’ll notice that toll rates will change throughout the day—ranging from $1.20 to $3 during peak travel hours. The toll rate on the west side between I-5 and SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma will be $1 at all times.

Although the new portion of SR 167 between Puyallup, Fife and Tacoma will be tolled, rest assured that no existing local roads will be tolled. The SR 167 Expressway offers a new, tolled choice for travel and more reliable trips. If you prefer not to pay a toll, you can still use your existing non-tolled local routes to get to your destination.

Paying for tolls

You can pay for tolls using your Good To Go! pass or through the mail if you don’t have a Good To Go! account. Review more details about how to pay for tolls through our tolling website. As a reminder, we never send toll bills through text messages – please stay safe from scams and don’t click unknown links in emails or texts.

Setting toll rates

Did you know that toll rates are set by the Washington State Transportation Commission? In spring 2025, the commission conducted a public process to set toll rates on SR 167 between Puyallup and Tacoma.

During that process, the Washington State Legislature directed the Commission to develop a system-wide low-income tolling program that would include discounts for qualifying drivers. The Commission will develop this program with WSDOT before it begins in 2026 on new tolled highways like the SR 167 Expressway.

If you’re interested in learning more about the rate setting process for the SR 167 expressway between Puyallup and Tacoma, check out the Washington State Transportation Commission’s webpage.

Why tolls are needed

The Legislature decides if a state highway will be tolled. Often this happens as part of the planning process for building a new road or bridge. That’s why you typically see tolling when new roads and bridges are built, like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the SR 520 bridge and now, the upcoming SR 167 Expressway. As Pierce County grows and more highway projects are needed to keep up with that growth, the Legislature will continue to make decisions about whether tolls are needed to pay for those highway projects.

The SR 167 Completion project is a good example of how tolling can help generate the funding needed to support the construction and maintenance of a new road. Tolling will contribute about $213 million to the Puget Sound Gateway Program, which oversees the SR 167 Completion Project. The tolls collected on the SR 167 expressway will be deposited into the Puget Sound Gateway facility account and will be used to help pay for the construction of the highway and for ongoing maintenance.

How tolls differ from the RTA tax

The Regional Transit Authority tax, also known as the RTA tax, is used to fund Sound Transit projects like the light rail expansion, Sounder commuter rail and the express bus system. The RTA tax is not used to fund WSDOT projects. However, sometimes there is overlap when Sound Transit and WSDOT work on projects in the same area—such as when road improvements are needed where the light rail is expanding—which can cause some confusion. If you want to learn more about what RTA funds cover, check out Sound Transit’s website.

Commute changes on North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup

As we build the new diverging diamond interchange and SR 167 bridge at North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup, our goal is to minimize traffic interruptions like frequent lane closures as much as possible. To keep traffic moving at this busy intersection, contractor crews shifted traffic slightly east on North Meridian Avenue in early October. This shift created a bypass for travelers and an uninterrupted work zone for construction crews. If you travel through this area, you can expect to use the bypass lane through early 2027, while we complete the new interchange and bridge.

Selecting an interchange design

We selected a diverging diamond interchange at North Meridian Avenue after studying traffic volumes in the area, costs and design options that would work best within the space we had to build. In this case, a diverging diamond interchange provided the safest and most efficient option to meet all design needs.

Diverging diamond interchanges help traffic flow better and improve safety. They are safer because there’s no need to turn left across traffic when entering or exiting the expressway. They also make traffic flow faster because there are fewer signal changes where you have to wait for a red light. And as a bonus, they have been found to be less expensive to build than other intersection types that require a larger structure, wider roads or extra turn lanes.

Using the new interchange at North Meridian Avenue when it opens in 2028

We know that diverging diamond interchanges can seem confusing when you see them on paper, but, believe it or not, they are very intuitive to use. The interchange uses the same rules of the road as everywhere else in Washington, so there’s nothing new for you to learn. The lanes direct drivers where they need to go, and there is only one route to take through the traffic signals with well-marked and easy to follow entry and exit points.

If you need to walk or roll through one of these intersections, don’t worry! They work well for pedestrians because there is a dedicated route with a wide path protected from traffic by a concrete barrier. Bicyclists can choose to ride with traffic or follow the pedestrian path.

Check out the videos and graphics below that show how you can use the new interchange when it partially opens to travelers in 2028.

North from Puyallup toward Edgewood and Milton

Motorists can travel north on North Meridian Avenue from Puyallup toward Edgewood/Milton using the center through lanes of the new North Meridian Avenue interchange.

South from Edgewood and Milton toward Puyallup

Motorists traveling south on North Meridian Avenue from Edgewood and Milton will use either the center or right lane heading toward Puyallup.

Northeast from Puyallup toward Sumner

Drivers travelling from Puyallup toward Sumner will use the right lane to access the on-ramp to northbound SR 167.

Southeast from Edgewood and Milton to Sumner

Drivers traveling from Edgewood and Milton toward Sumner will use either the center or left lane to access the on-ramp to northbound SR 167.

Northwest from Sumner toward Edgewood and Milton

Drivers exiting southbound SR 167 toward Edgewood and Milton will use either of the right lanes.

Southwest from Sumner toward Puyallup

Drivers exiting southbound SR 167 to downtown Puyallup will use either of the left lanes.

More diverging diamond interchange resources

For additional resources, review WSDOT’s YouTube channel for a video showing how drivers navigate a diverging diamond interchange, or reach out to our project team through the contact information listed at the end of this blog.

Safety on the future spuyaləpabš Trail

Excited for the new 12-mile trail we’re building as part of the SR 167 Completion Project? We are too! As we build the new trail, we’re working closely with each city it passes through. This includes local public works departments, social service providers and law enforcement to help with trail maintenance and monitoring for the safety and well-being of all users.

Environmental evaluations

In order to move forward with the SR 167 Completion Project, WSDOT and the Federal Highway Administration completed a Final Environmental Impact Statement in 2006 as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. The Final Environmental Impact Statement studied many aspects to help reduce effects of the project on environmental resources and local communities.

As the project moved forward into final design phases, we reviewed all design adjustments against the original environmental documentation and 2006 Final Environmental Impact Statement to confirm no new or additional resulting effects.

If you’re interested in reading more about the SR 167 Completion Project’s original Environmental Impact Statement, please refer to the “Environment” tab on our Puget Sound Gateway Program website.

Sound walls and traffic noise barriers

We worked with noise experts who studied a large area within the project footprint where people could be affected by traffic noise. Our study included residential and recreational areas in Edgewood, Fife, Milton, Puyallup and unincorporated Pierce County. Using guidelines set by the Federal Highway Administration and WSDOT, our study determined whether a sound barrier could be built that would meet both feasibility and reasonability criteria.

Ultimately, we determined that no noise barrier could be built to provide enough noise reduction at enough qualifying locations to justify the cost.

For more information about how we makes noise wall determinations, please visit the noise wall and barrier page on our website.

More project updates

Sign up for travel advisories and the SR 167 Completion project’s quarterly newsletter through this sign-up link. You can also review the SR 167 Project webpage for monthly updates about major road and lane closures.

Contacting the project team

You can contact us through email at SR167CompletionProject@wsdot.wa.gov or by phone through our construction hotlines. For information on SR 167 construction between I-5 and SR 509, call (253) 220-5009. For information on SR 167 construction between SR 410 and the Puyallup Recreation Center, call (253) 343-1440.

Smooth operators: Paving isn’t just a summer fling for our highways

By:  Angela Cochran and Adrienne Hatmaker

When you think about what makes a good thirst trap, hot asphalt may not be at the top of your list (each to their own). But one thing most of us can agree on is the love of a smooth ride. And the way we get that smooth ride? Paving projects.

If the video doesn’t convince you, just think about all the fresh, sparkly black asphalt along I-5, US 101 and State Routes 16, 3, 512 and 410. Our paving contractors repaired 82 miles of pavement in Thurston, Pierce, Kitsap and Mason counties within a short summer timeframe. We have to pave in summer because asphalt requires warm, dry weather to form properly. Also, the permanent pavement markings we apply to the roadway will not stick if it’s raining too much. This is why you may still see work happening on some highways. We are getting the job done whenever there’s a window in the weather.

Traffic is reduced to a single lane on US 101 while construction crews prepare to grind and pave the left lane near Kamilche.

Preserving our highways

Paving projects are part of our preservation work that helps keep people moving. So, what exactly does that mean? Preservation projects provide the long-term and longer-lasting work required for the overall life of a roadway. It’s one of our top statewide transportation policy goals. These goals guide our daily work. The conditions of our roadways are deteriorating faster than we can repair or replace them. And it is true the needs and costs for preservation outpace current funding.

Construction crews repaved sections of I-5 between Maytown Road and Plum Street in summer 2025.

Specific to state highways, 40% of lane miles across the state are overdue for new pavement.

When you travel on these highways, you may notice that some lanes were repaved, but others were not. We have a set amount of funding we can spend on preservation every two years. We are not legally allowed to over spend that budget. This means we have to be very strategic on where we pave. For these paving projects, we analyzed each highway and focused on the lanes in most need of repair. We use software that tracks the age and condition of the pavement. It helps determine the best time to do a preservation project and maximize the life of the pavement.

Types of pavement

Pavement preservation is broken into three main types of pavements: concrete, asphalt and chip seals. Asphalt makes up nearly half of our highways (48% of state highways – statewide number). The rest are divided between concrete and chip seals. You may remember some chip seal projects in summer 2024. This year, we focused on asphalt.

The big difference between the types of pavement is how long they last. Asphalt typically has a lifespan of 10-15 years in our area. That doesn’t mean we should only repave every 10-15 years though. In fact, the longer we wait, the more materials and time are needed to restore the pavement, which makes the cost go up.

Construction crews operate paving equipment at night on SR 16 near Gig Harbor.

Being able to restore 82 miles of pavement in four counties this summer is one small step in bringing our highways into a state of good repair. We appreciate travelers help in keeping crews safe during this work. If you would like to get updates on highway projects happening in your area, sign up for email updates. We also have real-time travel information on our app and statewide travel map.

Get to know the US 2 trestle system

By: Eric Zackula

We're back with another post in our blog series to breakdown the technical stuff in the US 2 Trestle Planning and Environmental Linkages study. This post picks up where our wellness check left off. In it, we'll take a closer look at the US 2 trestle.

First, let's get familiar with the study area. What we call the US 2 trestle is actually series of bridges and structures that connect communities across the Snohomish River and Ebey Island, traveling east and west. On the east side, you'll find Lake Stevens and Snohomish, with connections to State Routes 9 and 204 and local roads. On the west side, you'll find Everett and Marysville, with connections to the Interstate 5 corridor, SR 529 and local roads.

Expanded study area that includes the US 2 trestle and other connecting highways, including I-5

Now let's zoom in on the trestle system of structures and roadways across the Snohomish River and Ebey Island:

• Westbound trestle – consists of three bridge structures, with two travel lanes open to all and limited shoulder space.
• Eastbound trestle – consists of five bridge structures, with two travel lanes open to all and one right-side shoulder that is open to vehicles during peak times.
• Westside connections – I-5 ramps and interchanges to California and Walnut Streets, Hewitt Avenue
• Eastside connections – State Route 204 to the north, 20th Street Southeast to the east and US 2 to the south

The US 2 trestle system, including the westbound trestle, eastbound trestle, eastside connections, and westside connections

There are also some local structures and roadways within the trestle system. What's called the "lower roadway" is a split road that runs both directions just below the eastbound and westbound trestles. On the east end of Ebey Island, just before it crosses the Ebey Slough Bridge, it becomes one-way eastbound. Additionally, 20th Street Southeast is a one-way local street that runs beneath parts of US 2 and includes a bridge over Ebey Slough.

So how is this study different?

In past studies, we only looked at parts of the trestle system, but not the whole. The 2021 PEL study, for example, looked at the westbound trestle and the eastside connections. Not the connection to I-5. With the current PEL study, we are looking at improvements to both directions of the trestle. We are also looking at the connecting roads, highways, and trails for bicycles and pedestrians on both sides of the trestle.

As we described in the September blog, improvement concepts developed for Level 1 evaluation considered how people can move from east to west and west to east in cars, trucks, buses, bikes and even on foot. With the Level 1 results, we combined the best improvement concepts for the east side, west side and the trestle into system level alternatives. We are currently rating these alternatives in a more detailed, numbers-based way to see how well they are meeting the Purpose and Need, called the "Level 2 evaluation."

What's coming?

We plan to share the results of the Level 2 analysis with the public in early 2026. In the meantime, we'll be back with a November blog focused on car-less trestle crossings. This will be a look at how we are considering public transit and active transportation (think bicycling, walking or other non-vehicle forms of traveling) improvements in the current PEL study.

Please stay tuned for all this and more! To follow along with the study, consider signing up for the WSDOT Snohomish County Newsletter email updates. We also regularly update our study web page and document library.

Previous blogs

• Wellness Check on the US 2 Trestle Study - Sept. 5, 2025
• Updates on the new US 2 Trestle PEL study - Oct. 1, 2024