VELO Group is conducting Construction Partnering for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) SR 167 Completion Program Stage 1B project along Interstate 5. Located in Pierce County, the project is part of the Puget Sound Gateway Program, which also includes the SR 509 Completion Project in King County.
Stage 1B, which entails construction of a 2-mile-long tolled expressway connecting I-5 to SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma, is the second of three-stages to construct six new miles of tolled highway between Puyallup and the Port of Tacoma, as well as new sidewalks and shared-use paths for non-motorized travelers.
Further WSDOT SR 167 Stage 1B work includes:
- A new diverging diamond interchange (DDI) over I-5 connecting the interstate of the future SR 167 Expressway.
- Approximately 150-acres of wetland and stream restoration and improvements.
- New interchanges at I-5, 54th Avenue and the connections to SR 509.
- New sidewalks and widening of SR 99 from the new roundabout through the existing 70th Avenue East intersection.
- A new 2.5 mile shared-use path from SR 99 to Alexander Avenue East.
According to WSDOT, completing this unfinished highway will greatly benefit the movement of freight, improve safety and reduce congestion on local roads and highways in the surrounding area.
Construction on the $367-million project began in July 2022 with the initial Partnering Session on August 19, 2022. Equipping the project team for success, Construction Partnering activities during this session included establishing common goals for key team initiatives related to safety, environment, schedule, culture, quality and DBE participation. Additionally, applicable lessons learned from previous projects were discussed, and measurements of success were documented for future tracking.
Project Team
- Owner: Washington State Department of Transportation
- Design-Build Contractor: Atkinson Construction
- Construction Manager: Jacobs Engineering
- Environmental Consultant: O’Neill Service Group
Read more about this massive highway project: That new tolled expressway to the Port of Tacoma? It’s under construction along I-5
