Project overview
Travelers on northbound State Route 167 between Puyallup and Auburn experienced regular congestion, especially during morning peak commute hours. To help reduce delays during peak commute hours, WSDOT built a new northbound high occupancy vehicle lane on SR 167. The new HOV lane begins near State Route 410 in Pierce County and continues north to tie into the SR 167 HOT Lane near Auburn in King County.
What to expect
The last section of the new HOV lane on northbound SR 167 near the SR 410 interchange opened Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. In August 2022, seven miles of the new northbound SR 167 HOV lane opened to travelers.
Starting Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, the new ramp meter, located at the 24th Street on-ramp to northbound SR 167 in Sumner, began activating when congestion builds on northbound SR 167 near Stewart Road.
During construction, travelers saw overnight lane and ramp closures, a reduced speed limit in work zones, narrowed shoulders in work zones, and shifted lanes. There was also a temporary bicycle detour and a change to permanent bicycle route.
WSDOT added an additional northbound HOV lane within the existing pavement width that begins near State Route 410 in Pierce County and continues north to tie into the SR 167 HOT Lane near Auburn in King County. Once construction was complete, the additional lane opened as a HOV lane and will transition to an Express Toll Lane (ETL) at a future date. New ITS devices such as traffic cameras and ramp meters were added to the corridor. Ramp meters help manage the flow of vehicles that merge on to the highway.
