SR-167 Completion: a Win for Commuters and Congestion Relief

For twenty years, SR-167’s current dead end in a strawberry field in Puyallup has served as a reminder of continuing gaps in our region’s transportation system. Its completion will result not just in the completion of a roadway, but also a step forward in the completion of a transportation network.

There has been much discussion about the benefits SR-167 will bring to freight mobility and economic development, connecting the Port of Tacoma to the warehouse and distribution centers of the Puyallup and Green River Valleys. What some have overlooked, however, is what a completed SR-167 will mean for people. Current projections indicate that trucks hauling freight to and from the Port will make up only about 4 percent of vehicle traffic from I-5 to Puyallup along a completed SR-167. That means the remaining 96 percent will be other users, predominately commuters in personal vehicles. Extending SR-167 to Tacoma will provide more route options for commuters and regional travelers, and creates a more efficient connection between south King County and Pierce County. In fact, 30 percent of residents in Pierce County regularly commute north. A completed SR-167 will provide a vital link in our highway system not only for them, but also the thousands of citizens traveling east and west across Pierce County.