Regularly-scheduled bridge inspections will start next week on the northbound State Route 167 Puyallup River Bridge in Puyallup and the westbound State Route 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Tacoma.

WSDOT bridge crews will begin their work by inspecting the northbound Puyallup River Bridge. Because of its narrow width, crews will close the bridge to all traffic from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27. SR 167 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction, and those two lanes of traffic will be routed over the parallel southbound bridge.

Inspection activities will continue on Sunday, July 28, when crews will again close the northbound SR 167 bridge from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., and route all SR 167 traffic onto the southbound bridge.

Bridge inspection crews will then move to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Each day from Monday, July 29, through Thursday, Aug. 1, bridge inspection crews will close one westbound SR 16 lane across the 1950 Tacoma Narrows Bridge between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Because the lane closure will occur in the non-peak travel direction, motorists should experience only minimal delays. Three westbound lanes will remain open.

WSDOT bridge inspectors inspect every state highway bridge every two years. These two inspections will involve reviewing all components of the bridges. Crews will access areas under the bridge decks using an “Under-Bridge Inspection Truck” with a specialized arm that reaches around the bridge railing and below the deck.