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.