How the SR 167 is progressing and what will change for truckers

The SR 167 Completion Project, the highway that will directly connect the Port of Tacoma with Interstate 5 and prevent thousands of trucks from circulating on local streets, entered its final construction stage on July 15, 2026, following an official groundbreaking ceremony by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The first section, between I-5 and SR 509, is already underway and will open to traffic by late 2026, with electronic toll collection starting in December of that year. The final section, between Puyallup and Fife, will not be completed until September 2029. When the full project is ready in 2030, truckers and transportation companies will have a direct six-mile route between the port and I-5, without depending on congested local streets.

What is the SR 167 Completion Project and why it matters to a trucker in Washington

The SR 167 Completion Project is the roadwork that will finish constructing six miles of a toll highway that has been missing for more than half a century, connecting the point where SR 167 currently ends in Puyallup with SR 509, near the Port of Tacoma, with a new direct connection to Interstate 5. According to WSDOT itself, completing this highway will directly benefit freight movement, improve safety, and reduce congestion on local streets and highways in the area.

The project is part of the Puget Sound Gateway Program, along with the SR 509 Completion Project in King County, and aims to solve a very concrete problem for any carrier picking up freight from the Port of Tacoma: today, much of that heavy traffic has to circulate on local streets before reaching I-5, instead of having a direct connection between the port and the interstate.

The most recent milestone: the final stage began on July 15, 2026

The most important development for 2026 is that, on July 15, WSDOT officials held the official groundbreaking ceremony for Stage 2b, the fourth and final construction phase of the project. According to local news outlet KOMO News, Washington State Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith described the project as a key investment in the state’s freight network, capable of strengthening the economy, sustaining family-wage jobs, and improving safety and reliability for those traveling through the area.

This final stage will build the remaining 2.6 miles of highway between North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup and I-5 in Fife, thus completing the final stretch of the project’s total six miles. According to specialized publication Construction Equipment Guide, the new four-lane highway will have electronic toll collection, without physical booths, at two points: one west of I-5 and one east.

How the work is divided: the four stages of the project

According to official information published by WSDOT itself, the project is being built in four stages:

• Stage 1a: already completed in June 2021, it built the new Wapato Way East bridge and a roundabout over SR 99 in Fife.
• Stage 1b: currently under construction, it is building two miles of new highway between I-5 and SR 509, with a diverging diamond interchange over I-5 in Fife. This section will open to traffic by mid- to late 2026.
• Stage 2a: began in spring 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027. It includes reconstruction of the interchange between SR 167 and SR 161/North Meridian Avenue, and widening of SR 167 between that avenue and SR 410, near Sumner.
• Stage 2b: the final phase, with construction starting on July 15, 2026, will complete the remaining section between I-5 in Fife and the Puyallup Recreation Center, with an estimated completion date of September 2029.

The complete project, including additional environmental work, has a total cost of $2.83 billion and is expected to be fully completed in 2030.

What concretely changes for freight transportation

As WSDOT itself emphasized, one of the central objectives of the project is to get trucks off local streets. KOMO News described the project’s purpose directly: to provide a more direct route for freight moving to and from the Port of Tacoma, reducing the number of large trucks that currently circulate on surface streets in the area.

SR 167 project manager Steve Fuchs explained in statements to the Port of Tacoma that the port authority itself was key to securing project funding, after decades of the work remaining only on paper: “We have copies of those original design reports from the late 1950s,” Fuchs noted, highlighting how long this pending project has been in the works.

Once completed, the highway will directly connect I-5 with SR 509 and with distribution and manufacturing centers in northern Pierce County, including the massive warehouse district of Kent Valley, without that freight having to pass through congested local streets.

When toll collection begins

As confirmed by WSDOT itself on its public participation portal, toll collection on the first two miles of the new highway, between I-5 and SR 509, will begin in December 2026. The additional three miles of the eastern section, between I-5 and North Meridian Avenue, will open in 2029, with toll collection expected that same year. According to the agency, tolling is a common mechanism to finance the construction of new highways and, at the same time, helps manage demand and reduce congestion on the new expressway.

The link with the tribal community and environmental work

A relevant detail to understand the magnitude of the project is that the entire work area is located within the lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. According to WSDOT, the agency worked in direct partnership with the tribe to restore the natural land affected by construction. The project includes rehabilitation of more than 150 acres of wetlands, restoration of Wapato Creek, and construction of new sections of the spuyaləpabš multi-use trail, which will eventually connect Puyallup with downtown Tacoma along 12 miles, with artwork by Coast Salish artists included along the route.

Frequently asked questions

When will SR 167 be fully completed? The complete project has an estimated completion date in 2030, although the last construction stage (2b) has a specific opening to traffic date in September 2029.

When does toll collection begin on the new highway? The section between I-5 and SR 509 will begin collecting electronic tolls in December 2026. The eastern section, between I-5 and North Meridian Avenue, will begin collecting tolls in 2029, when it opens to traffic.

How does this project benefit truckers picking up freight from the Port of Tacoma? It will provide a direct connection between the Port of Tacoma and Interstate 5, preventing trucks from having to circulate on congested local streets to reach the interstate, which reduces travel times and congestion.

How much does the SR 167 Completion project cost? The total project cost is $2.83 billion, funding both the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County and the SR 509 Completion Project in King County, under the same Puget Sound Gateway Program.