A third ramp meter in Sumner will be activated in the coming weeks
SUMNER – A time-tested tool to help manage congestion is coming back online on northbound State Route 167.
On Monday, Aug. 15, the Washington State Department of Transportation will reactivate two ramp meters along the northbound SR 167 corridor in Pacific.
The ramp meters are located at Jovita Boulevard/Stewart Road and Ellingson Road. These locations were modified to include two metered general-purpose lanes.
A new ramp meter, located at the 24th Street on-ramp to northbound SR 167 in Sumner, will turn on later this summer.
The changes are a part of a congestion-relieving $33 million project that built a new northbound HOV lane on SR 167.
How ramp meters work
Ramp meters are traffic signals that operate according to real-time conditions on the highway and ramp. The traffic signals provide consistent gaps between vehicles. Ramp meters prevent multiple vehicles flooding the highway at once.
WSDOT will fine-tune ramp meter operations and closely monitor traffic at each ramp following activation. WSDOT’s goal is to balance the needs of drivers merging onto the highway with the needs of drivers already there.
Real-time traffic information is available on the WSDOT statewide travel map, the WSDOT app and WSDOT regional Twitter account.