View source for Washington State Route 16

{{Short description|State highway in the U.S. state of Washington}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox road
|state=WA
|type=SR
|route=16
|section=065
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Washington State Route 16}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=SR&nbsp;16 highlighted in red
|length_mi=27.16
|length_ref=<ref name="log">{{cite web |author=Staff |year=2012 |title=State Highway Log: Planning Report 2012, SR 2 to SR 971 |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Transportation]] |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/roadway/pdf/HwyLog2012Statewide.pdf |pages=473–485 |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref>
|established=1964<ref name="RCW">{{cite web |url=http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=47.17.065 |title=47.17.065: State route No. 16 |year=1987 |work=[[Revised Code of Washington]] |publisher=[[Washington State Legislature]] |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref>
|direction_a=East<!-- WSDOT signs SR 16 from east to west -->
|terminus_a={{jct|state=WA|I|5}} in [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]
|junction={{plainlist|
*{{jct|state=WA|SR|302}} in [[Purdy, Washington|Purdy]]
*{{jct|state=WA|SR|160}} in [[Port Orchard, Washington|Port Orchard]]
}}
|direction_b=West
|terminus_b={{jct|state=WA|SR|3}} in [[Gorst, Washington|Gorst]]
|counties=[[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]], [[Kitsap County, Washington|Kitsap]]
|previous_type=SR
|previous_route=14
|next_type=SR
|next_route=17
}}

'''State Route&nbsp;16''' ('''SR&nbsp;16''') is a {{convert|27.16|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[State highways in Washington|state highway]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Washington (state)|Washington]], connecting [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]] and [[Kitsap County, Washington|Kitsap]] counties. The highway, signed as east–west, begins at an interchange with [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate&nbsp;5]] (I-5) in [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] and travels through the city as a [[freeway]] towards the [[Tacoma Narrows]]. SR&nbsp;16 crosses the narrows onto the [[Kitsap Peninsula]] on the partially tolled [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] and continues through [[Gig Harbor, Washington|Gig Harbor]] and [[Port Orchard, Washington|Port Orchard]] before the freeway ends in [[Gorst, Washington|Gorst]]. The designation ends at an intersection with [[Washington State Route 3|SR&nbsp;3]] southwest of the beginning of its freeway through [[Bremerton, Washington|Bremerton]] and [[Poulsbo, Washington|Poulsbo]]. SR&nbsp;16 is designated as a Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) corridor within the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] as the main thoroughfare connecting Tacoma to [[Naval Base Kitsap]] and a part of the Highways of Statewide Significance program.

SR&nbsp;16 was created during the [[1964 state highway renumbering (Washington)|1964 state highway renumbering]] as the successor to [[Primary State Highway 14 (Washington)|Primary State Highway&nbsp;14]] (PSH&nbsp;14). PSH&nbsp;14, which had itself been the successor to [[State Road 14 (Washington 1923-1937)|State Road&nbsp;14]], traveled northeast from [[Shelton, Washington|Shelton]] to Gorst and south to Gig Harbor. PSH&nbsp;14 was extended over the Tacoma Narrows in 1939 on the unfinished [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)|Tacoma Narrows Bridge]], which would later collapse months after opening in 1940, into Tacoma over Secondary State Highway&nbsp;14C (SSH&nbsp;14C). SR&nbsp;16 has been expanded into a freeway in stages beginning with the original Nalley Valley Viaduct in Tacoma in 1971, and ending with the opening of an interchange near Port Orchard in 2009. Later improvements to the corridor include the installation of [[high-occupancy vehicle lane]]s that connect to I-5 and the rest of the freeway network in Pierce County, which were completed in 2019.

==Route description==
[[File:Tacoma Narrows Bridge 2009.jpg|thumb|left|The twinned [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] carries SR&nbsp;16 between [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] and the [[Kitsap Peninsula]]]]

SR&nbsp;16 begins as an elevated freeway at an [[interchange (road)|interchange]] with [[Interstate 5 in Washington|I-5]] in [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] southwest of [[Downtown Tacoma|downtown]]. The interchange includes direct ramps for a set of [[high-occupancy vehicle lane]]s (HOV lanes) and [[collector–distributor lanes]] as it travels over South Tacoma Way and a railroad that carries [[Sound Transit]]'s [[Sounder commuter rail|Sounder commuter train]]. SR&nbsp;16 intersects Sprague Avenue at an interchange and turns west, passing a golf course and [[Cheney Stadium]]. A parallel pedestrian and cycling path, the [[Scott Pierson Trail]], runs along the north side of the freeway.<ref name="wsdot-spt">{{cite map |title=Welcome to the Scott Pierson Trail |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/CDCE16E9-059F-41E7-8FF0-4E44DF71861F/0/scottpierson.pdf |format=PDF |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> At a partial interchange with Center Street near [[Fircrest, Washington|Fircrest]], SR&nbsp;16 turns northwest and travels around the [[Tacoma Community College]] campus to an interchange with North Pearl Street ([[Washington State Route 163|SR&nbsp;163]]), which provides access to [[Ruston, Washington|Ruston]] and the [[Vashon Island]] ferry.<ref name="google">{{google maps |title=State Route 16 |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=47.379865,-122.580265&spn=0.497495,1.352692&sll=47.527177,-122.698982&sspn=0.001938,0.005284&geocode=FYGt0AIdL2az-A%3BFUM31QIdLsGv-A&mra=me&mrsp=1,0&sz=18&t=m&z=10 |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref>

SR&nbsp;16 continues west past a partial cloverleaf interchange with Jackson Avenue and towards the [[Tacoma Narrows]] on the [[Twin bridges|twin]]-[[Suspension bridge|suspension]] [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]]s.<ref name="log"/><ref name="diagram-MP4-jackson">{{cite web |date=September 4, 2008 |title=SR 16 - Exit 4: Junction Jackson Avenue |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X004.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name="google"/> The {{convert|5,979|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} westbound span and the tolled {{convert|5,400|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} eastbound span combine to carry six lanes of SR&nbsp;16 onto the [[Kitsap Peninsula]].<ref name="wsdot-tnb">{{cite web |title=SR 16 - Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Just the Facts |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR16/NewNarrowsBridge/Facts.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305130821/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR16/NewNarrowsBridge/Facts.htm |archive-date=March 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="wsdot-tnb2">{{cite web |title=The Bridge Machine Since 1950 |year=2005 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TNBhistory/Machine/machine5.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 18, 2013 |archive-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026035129/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TNBhistory/Machine/machine5.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The eastbound span is tolled via [[electronic toll collection]] through the "[[Good to Go (toll collection system)|Good to Go]]" program on the Kitsap Peninsula side of the bridge. Tolls for two axle vehicles and motorcycles are set at $4.50 for Good to Go accounts, $5.50 collected at the toll plaza, and $6.50 for Pay by Mail, with prices increasing for each additional axle by $2.25 for Good to Go accounts, $2.75 for toll plaza users, and $3.25 for Pay by Mail users.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Tolling/TNBTolling/tnbtollrates.htm|title=Tacoma Narrows Bridge Toll Rates |publisher = Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=2016-04-25}}</ref>

SR&nbsp;16 continues onto the Kitsap Peninsula and intersects 24th Street in a partial diamond interchange east of the [[Tacoma Narrows Airport]] as it passes the [[toll plaza]] for the eastbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge.<ref name="diagram-MP8-24">{{cite web |date=September 4, 2008 |title=SR 16 - Exit 8: Junction 24th Street NW |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X008.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> The freeway travels northwest through [[Gig Harbor, Washington|Gig Harbor]] past interchanges with Olympic Drive and Wollochet Drive near [[Gig Harbor High School]] before it reaches [[Henderson Bay]]. SR&nbsp;16 continues through an interchange with Burnham Drive and past the [[Washington Corrections Center for Women]] and [[St. Anthony Hospital (Gig Harbor, Washington)|St. Anthony Hospital]] towards [[Purdy, Washington|Purdy]],<ref name="diagram-burnham">{{cite web |date=October 18, 2011 |title=SR 16: Junction Burnham Drive NW/Borgen Boulevard NW |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X014.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> intersecting the southern terminus of [[Washington State Route 302|SR&nbsp;302]].<ref name="diagram-302">{{cite web |date=January 27, 2009 |title=SR 16: Junction SR 302/SR 302 Spur Purdy |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X015.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> The freeway bypasses Purdy and [[Peninsula High School (Washington)|Peninsula High School]] to the east before intersecting [[Washington State Route 302 Spur|SR&nbsp;302&nbsp;Spur]] and entering [[Kitsap County, Washington|Kitsap County]].<ref name="diagram-302s">{{cite web |date=December 17, 2009 |title=SR 16: Junction SR 302 Spur Purdy |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X018.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> SR&nbsp;16 passes the community of [[Burley, Washington|Burley]] and intersects its main access highway, Burley-Olalla Road, in an interchange before entering the city of [[Port Orchard, Washington|Port Orchard]].<ref name="diagram-MP20-burleyolalla">{{cite web |date=February 7, 2011 |title=SR 16 - Exit 20: Junction SE Burley-Olalla Road |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X020.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> The freeway ends after serving as the western terminus of [[Washington State Route 160|SR&nbsp;160]] and [[Washington State Route 166|SR&nbsp;166]] on the west side of the city.<ref name="diagram-160">{{cite web |date=January 27, 2010 |title=SR 16: Junction SR 160/Sedgewick Road |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X025.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name="diagram-166">{{cite web |date=September 17, 2004 |title=SR 16: Junction SR 166 (Formerly SR 160) |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR016/016X028.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> The four-lane highway continues west along the [[Sinclair Inlet]] into [[Gorst, Washington|Gorst]], intersecting its [[Washington State Route 16 Spur|spur route]] and ending at an intersection with [[Washington State Route 3|SR&nbsp;3]].<ref name="diagram-3">{{cite web |date=February 28, 2011 |title=SR 3: Junction SR 16/SR 16 Spur Gorst |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/InterchangeViewer/pdf/SR003/003X034.pdf |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref>

Every year, the [[Washington State Department of Transportation]] (WSDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of [[annual average daily traffic]] (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2012, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of SR&nbsp;16 was west of its interchange with Union Avenue in downtown Tacoma, serving 112,000 vehicles, while the least busiest section is after the SR&nbsp;160 interchange west of Port Orchard, serving 32,000 vehicles.<ref name="ATR">{{cite web |author=Staff |year=2012 |title=2012 Annual Traffic Report |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/Annual_Traffic_Report_2012.pdf |pages=93–99 |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> SR&nbsp;16 is designated as a [[Strategic Highway Network]] corridor, connecting [[Naval Base Kitsap]] to the state highway system along with SR&nbsp;3, within the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] that classifies it as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility.<ref name="NHS">{{cite map |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |title=National Highway System: Washington |url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/washington/wa_washington.pdf |date=October 1, 2012 |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name="NHS-about">{{cite web |title=What is the National Highway System? |url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/ |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |date=September 26, 2012 |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> WSDOT designates the entire route of SR&nbsp;16 as a Highway of Statewide Significance,<ref name="HSS-list">{{cite web |title=Transportation Commission List of Highways of Statewide Significance |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2006/03/16/HSSlist2009mod2.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Transportation Commission]] |date=July 26, 2009 |access-date=March 18, 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724190950/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/50EC9EB9-DB3D-4823-B5D2-5348409FB8CE/0/HSSlist2009mod2.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> which includes highways that connect major communities in the [[Washington (state)|state of Washington]].<ref name="HSS-about">{{cite web |last=Lorenzo |first=Judy |title=Highways of Statewide Significance |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/planning/HSS/Default.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:WA-16 Nalley Valley Viaduct demolition.jpg|thumb|right|The current westbound (left) and now-demolished eastbound (right) portions of the Nalley Valley Viaduct, carrying SR&nbsp;16 through [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]].]]

The present route of SR&nbsp;16 roughly follows the route of several state highways signed during the 20th century, the first of which was [[State Road 14 (Washington 1923-1937)|State Road&nbsp;14]]. State Road&nbsp;14 traveled north from [[Shelton, Washington|Shelton]] to [[Gorst, Washington|Gorst]] and south into [[Gig Harbor, Washington|Gig Harbor]] as the primary connector between the [[Olympic Peninsula|Olympic]] and [[Kitsap Peninsula|Kitsap]] peninsulas.<ref name="law1923">{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |edition=1923 |date=March 19, 1923 |access-date=March 23, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G784AAAAIAAJ |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=[[Olympia, Washington]] |chapter=Chapter 185: Primary and Secondary State Highways |page=631}}</ref> Its construction had been proposed by Pierce County in the 1910s to connect Gig Harbor to the [[Navy Yard Highway]], which was under construction at the time.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 3, 1916 |title=Pierce County Wants Highway |page=6 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88300568/pierce-county-wants-highway/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=November 3, 2021}}</ref> State Road&nbsp;14 was re-designated in 1937 as [[Primary State Highway 14 (Washington)|PSH&nbsp;14]] and included a secondary highway named SSH&nbsp;14C that traveled from Gig Harbor to the [[Tacoma Narrows]], site of an under-construction [[suspension bridge]] to open in 1940.<ref name="law1937a">{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |edition=1937 |date=March 17, 1937 |access-date=March 23, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dcQ4AAAAIAAJ |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 190: Establishment of Primary State Highways |page=940}}</ref><ref name="law1937b">{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |edition=1937 |date=March 18, 1937 |access-date=March 23, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dcQ4AAAAIAAJ |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 207: Classification of Public Highways |page=1010}}</ref><ref name="wsdot-tnb-timeline">{{cite web |title=Spanning Time: A Chronology of Tacoma Narrows Bridges History |year=2005 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TNBhistory/spanning_time.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> PSH&nbsp;14 was extended southeast over SSH&nbsp;14C and the unfinished [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)|Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] into the city of [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] as part of a transfer of bridge ownership to the [[Washington (state)|state of Washington]] in 1939.<ref name="law1939">{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |edition=1939 |date=January 27, 1939 |access-date=March 23, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AMU4AAAAIAAJ |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 5: Lake Washington and Narrows Bridges |page=10}}</ref> After the collapse of the original bridge on November 7, 1940,<ref name="HL-TNB4">{{cite web |last=Long |first=Priscilla |date=January 13, 2003 |title=Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses on November 7, 1940. |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5048 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> PSH&nbsp;14 was truncated to Gig Harbor and traffic was redirected to a ferry landing in [[Manchester, Washington|Manchester]].<ref name="law1949">{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |edition=1949 |date=March 22, 1949 |access-date=March 23, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcc4AAAAIAAJ |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 225: Establishing of Primary and Secondary State Highways |pages=773–774}}</ref> The [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1950)|second Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] was opened on October 14, 1950, and PSH&nbsp;14 was extended the following year to an intersection with [[U.S. Route 99|U.S. Route&nbsp;99]] (US&nbsp;99) in [[Downtown Tacoma]].<ref name="law1951">{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |edition=1951 |year=1951 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 8}}</ref><ref name="HL-TNB5">{{cite web |last=Long |first=Priscilla |date=October 29, 2004 |title=Tacoma Narrows Bridge, second edition, opens to traffic on October 14, 1950. |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7113 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref>

PSH&nbsp;14 was replaced by SR&nbsp;16 under the [[State highways in Washington|sign route system]] created during the [[1964 state highway renumbering (Washington)|1964 state highway renumbering]], traveling from US&nbsp;99 in Tacoma to [[Washington State Route 3|SR&nbsp;3]] in [[Gorst, Washington|Gorst]].<ref name="RCW"/><ref name="sr">{{cite web |last=Prahl |first=C. G. |title=Identification of State Highways |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |publisher=Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways |date=December 1, 1965 |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> [[Washington State Department of Transportation|WSDOT]] began converting the SR&nbsp;16 corridor to a [[controlled-access highway|controlled-access freeway]] with the construction of the Nalley Valley Viaduct in 1969, designed with [[Tetrapod (structure)|tetrapod columns]] at a cost of $3.67 million.<ref name="wsdot-WN-history">{{cite web |title=SR 16 - Westbound Nalley Valley - History |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/PierceCountyHOV/SR16_WBNalleyValley/History.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> The viaduct opened on October 29, 1971,<ref>{{cite news |last=Sand |first=Paul |date=July 1, 2007 |title=The last piece of the puzzle takes the longest |page=A11 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113463717/the-last-piece-of-the-puzzle-takes-the/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 22, 2022}}</ref> and connected SR&nbsp;16 to [[Interstate 5 in Washington|I-5]] in Tacoma, part of a new freeway replacing Bantz Boulevard between I-5 and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.<ref name="wsdot-WN-history"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Corvin |first1=Aaron |last2=Sherman |first2=Kris |date=August 5, 2001 |title=Before Highway 16, traffic crawled on Bantz Blvd. |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113512702/before-highway-16-traffic-crawled-on/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 22, 2022}}</ref><ref name="usgs-1965">{{cite map |publisher=United States Geological Survey |title=Seattle, 1965 |year=1965 |url=http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/250k/txu-pclmaps-topo-us-seattle-1965.jpg |scale=1:250,000 |format=JPG |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> A [[bypass (road)|bypass]] of [[Purdy, Washington|Purdy]] on the [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]]–[[Kitsap County, Washington|Kitsap]] county line was opened in November 1978 and the former route of SR&nbsp;16 was divided between [[Washington State Route 302|SR&nbsp;302]] and [[Washington State Route 302 Spur|its spur route]].<ref>{{cite news |date=December 1978 |title=Purdy Bypass Gives Relief To Motorists |page=6 |work=Transpo News |volume=29 |issue=6 |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=https://cdm16977.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16977coll14/id/1677/ |via=WSDOT Library Digital Collections |access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite WSDOT map |year=1978 |access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref> The remainder of SR&nbsp;16 in [[Port Orchard, Washington|Port Orchard]] was upgraded to a freeway during the 1980s;<ref name="ERG-1982">{{cite news |last=Chase |first=Donn |title=Off the Top of the Mountain |date=May 21, 1982 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N_pVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3816,5093419&dq=port+orchard+freeway&hl=en |work=[[The Register-Guard|Eugune Register-Guard]] |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> however, [[at-grade intersection]]s remained at Mullenix Road until 1993 and Burley-Olalla Road until 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Travis |date=September 30, 1992 |title=Highway 16: Interchange work starts at deadly intersection |url=https://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/1992/09-30/277831_highway_16.html |work=[[Kitsap Sun]] |access-date=May 17, 2018}}</ref><ref name="sun-bo">{{cite news |last=Friedrich |first=Ed |title=State Pushing for Wednesday Opening of Burley-Olalla Interchange |date=October 5, 2009 |url=http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/oct/05/state-pushing-for-wednesday-opening-of-burley/ |work=Kitsap Sun |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> Two at-grade intersection remain to access businesses and a cemetery from the westbound lanes north of the Wollochet Drive interchange.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

WSDOT began installation of [[high-occupancy vehicle lane]]s (HOV lanes) on SR&nbsp;16 as part of a Pierce County HOV system, which was constructed from 2000 to 2022 across several freeways.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=August 25, 2022 |title=After two decades of construction it's finally here: Tacoma's I-5 HOV project opens Friday |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/traffic/article262975678.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=November 22, 2022}}</ref> Beginning in the early 2000s, [[frontage road]]s and the Scott Pierson Trail were built along the freeway and [[sound wall]]s were erected near residential areas in Tacoma.<ref name="wsdot-spt"/><ref name="wsdot-2007a">{{cite web |last=Suafoa |first=Rumina |title=SR 16 - HOV Improvements - Olympic Drive to Union Avenue - Complete July 2007 |date=July 2007 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/piercecountyhov/sr16_olympic_union/ |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> From Tacoma to Gig Harbor, WSDOT began installing [[exit number]]s to interchanges with SR&nbsp;16 that correspond to its [[milepost]].<ref name="wsdot-2007b">{{cite web |last=Ziegler |first=Dave |title=SR 16 HOV Improvements - Olympic Drive to Union Avenue Specifics |date=July 2007 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/PierceCountyHOV/SR16_olympic_union/specifics.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> The Nalley Valley Viaduct was replaced by a new westbound structure in 2011, carrying all four lanes of SR&nbsp;16 towards I-5 in Tacoma, while the original viaduct was closed and demolished.<ref name="wsdot-WN">{{cite web |last=Baker |first=Claudia Bingham |title=SR 16 - Westbound Nalley Valley - Complete June 2011 |date=June 2011 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/PierceCountyHOV/SR16_WBNalleyValley/default.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="wsdot-WN-opening">{{cite news |last1=Deffenbacher |first1=Jon |last2=Copeland |first2=Lisa |title=I-5/SR 16 westbound Nalley Valley Viaduct opens in Tacoma |date=June 21, 2011 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/06/SR16WBNVopens.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> The eastbound Nalley Valley Viaduct began construction in November 2011 and was completed by WSDOT in January 2014.<ref name="wsdot-EN-oct2011">{{cite news |last=Copeland |first=Lisa |title=Nalley Valley to get new eastbound viaduct |date=October 28, 2011 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/10/EBNVgroundbreaking.htm |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Glenn |first=Stacia |date=January 2, 2014 |title=New viaduct on Route 16 should open Monday |url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/traffic/article25863574.html |work=The News Tribune |location=Tacoma, Washington |access-date=February 5, 2018}}</ref> The third viaduct, carrying HOV lanes, began construction in 2017 and was completed in November 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lynn |first=Adam |date=January 31, 2017 |title=You'll soon get to use some new pieces of I-5, but congestion relief could be years away |url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/traffic/article129725114.html |work=The News Tribune |location=Tacoma, Washington |access-date=February 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=November 5, 2019 |title=WSDOT ready to open last part of I-5 interchange with SR 16 |url=https://www.djc.com/news/co/12126902.html |work=Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce |url-access=subscription |accessdate=November 22, 2022}}</ref>

On February 23, 2016, a {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=mid|spell=in}} section of SR&nbsp;16 from the Kitsap–Pierce county line to Gorst was dedicated as the [[Washington State Patrol#Fallen Officers|Tony Radulescu]] Memorial Highway, in honor of a [[Washington State Patrol]] trooper who was killed on that stretch of highway four years earlier.<ref name="king5news-EN-feb2016">{{cite news|title=Highway Dedication Tuesday for Murdered State Trooper|date=February 23, 2016|url=http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2016/02/23/highway-dedication-tuesday-murdered-state-trooper/80800214/|publisher=King 5 News|access-date=February 24, 2016}}</ref>

The northern terminus of SR&nbsp;16 in Gorst is a major traffic bottleneck and forms a gap between the two main freeways on the Kitsap Peninsula. A proposal to rebuild the intersection into a grade-separated interchange was considered in 2019 but did not move forward in a legislative session. A rebuilt interchange, estimated to cost around $500&nbsp;million, has been sought to improve access to Bremerton National Airport and local military installations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farley |first=Josh |date=March 14, 2021 |title=Gorst fix? 'We can't afford to wait any longer' |page=A1 |url=https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2021/03/14/leaders-gorst-traffic-fix-we-cant-afford-wait-any-longer/6909035002/ |work=Kitsap Sun |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 18, 2021}}</ref>

===Tacoma Narrows Bridge===
[[File:Opening day of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Tacoma, Washington.jpg|thumb|left|The original [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)|Tacoma Narrows Bridge]], also known by its nickname of "Galloping Gertie", during its opening on July 1, 1940.]]
{{Main|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}}

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which carries SR&nbsp;16 across the Tacoma Narrows between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula, was first proposed by locals during the late 19th century—the earliest being local rancher John G. Shindler while traveling through the Narrows by [[steamboat]] in 1888.<ref name="wsdot-tnb-timeline"/> The [[Northern Pacific Railway]] planned to build a [[trestle bridge]] over the Narrows to connect its western terminus in Tacoma to the proposed [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] in Port Orchard.<ref name="wsdot-tnb-timeline"/> The [[Washington State Legislature]], after extensive lobbying by local auto groups and businesses, authorized the construction of a road bridge over the Narrows in February 1929.<ref name="wsdot-tnb-timeline"/> The [[Washington Toll Bridge Authority]] was created in March 1937 to construct and maintain [[toll bridge]]s throughout the state, beginning with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge from Tacoma to Gig Harbor and the [[Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge|Lake Washington Floating Bridge]] from [[Seattle]] to [[Mercer Island]].<ref name="HL-TNB1">{{cite web |last=Becker |first=Paula |date=January 19, 2005 |title=State legislature establishes Washington Toll Bridge Authority in March 1937. |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7214 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref>

The bridge, designed by American [[suspension bridge]] [[engineer]] [[Leon Moisseiff]], began construction on November 23, 1938, by the Pacific-General-Columbia Company, a partnership between three companies that received a $2.88 million grant from the [[Public Works Administration]] and a $3.52 million loan from the [[Reconstruction Finance Corporation]], to be repaid through tolls.<ref name="UW-TNB2">{{cite web |title=Part 2: Construction - 1938-1940 |url=http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/tnb/construction |work=History of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge |publisher=[[University of Washington Libraries]] |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on July 1, 1940, and included ceremonies attended by an estimated 10,000 people, including [[Governor of Washington]] [[Clarence D. Martin]]. The {{convert|2,800|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} bridge, christened the name "Galloping Gertie" by its construction workers, cost $6.4 million to build and became the [[List of longest suspension bridge spans|third longest suspension span in the world]] after its completion.<ref name="HL-TNB2">{{cite web |last=Long |first=Priscilla |date=November 20, 2004 |title=Tacoma Narrows Bridge is dedicated on July 1, 1940. |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7139 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref><ref name="UW-TNB3">{{cite web |title=Part 3: Opening and Experiments to study 'ripple' |url=http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/tnb/opening |work=History of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge |publisher=University of Washington Libraries |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The following day, the [[art deco]] [[MV Kalakala|MV ''Kalakala'']] was chosen to make the commemorative final ferry crossing of the Tacoma Narrows.<ref name="HL-TNB3">{{cite web |last=Stein |first=Alan J. |date=June 1, 1999 |title=Ferry Kalakala chosen for final ferry run at Tacoma Narrows on July 2, 1940. |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=1202 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The original toll for the bridge cost 55 cents per car, 15 cents per extra passenger, and 15 cents for pedestrians.<ref name="UW-TNB3"/> The bridge, which was prone to movement during [[windstorm]]s, collapsed at approximately 11:00&nbsp;am on November 7, 1940, because of winds in excess of {{convert|42|mph|km/h|0}}.<ref name="UW-TNB4">{{cite web |title=Part 4: The Collapse |url=http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/tnb/collapse |work=History of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge |publisher=University of Washington Libraries |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The only fatality during the collapse was a dog trapped in a car belonging to local reporter Leonard Coatsworth of Tacoma.<ref name="HL-TNB4"/>

A second, {{convert|5,979|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} Tacoma Narrows Bridge was constructed between 1948 and 1951,<ref name="wsdot-tnb2"/> officially opening to traffic on October 14, 1950. The bridge was designed to let wind pass through the structure with perforated girders and open grating in the deck.<ref name="HL-TNB5"/> Traffic on the four-lane bridge began increasing from 6,000 vehicles in 1960 to nearly 67,000 vehicles by 1990, according to WSDOT [[AADT]] data.<ref name="HL-TNB5"/><ref name="ATR-1960">{{cite web |author=Staff |year=1960 |title=Annual Traffic Report, 1960 |publisher=Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/1960_ATR.pdf |page=128 |access-date=March 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313165044/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/1960_ATR.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="ATR-1990">{{cite web |author=Staff |year=1990 |title=1990 Annual Traffic Report |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/1990_ATR.pdf |page=53 |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The increased traffic prompted the Washington State Legislature to approve the construction of a [[toll bridge|tolled]] eastbound bridge in 1999, to be finished during the early 2000s.<ref name="SR-1999">{{cite news |title=Public-private partnership to build new Narrows bridge |date=June 16, 1999 |page=B2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I49XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GvIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4624,5374494&dq=tacoma-narrows+bridge&hl=en |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The {{convert|5,400|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} eastbound bridge was constructed between 2002 and 2007,<ref name="wsdot-tnb"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Carson |first=Rob |date=October 6, 2002 |title=Giant step for 2nd bridge |page=B1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113512631/giant-step-for-2nd-bridge/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 22, 2022}}</ref> opening on July 15, 2007, during ceremonies attended by 60,000 people, including Governor [[Christine Gregoire]].<ref name="HL-TNB6">{{cite web |last=Long |first=Priscilla |date=July 17, 2007 |title=New Tacoma Narrows Bridge is dedicated on July 15, 2007. |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8214 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref><ref name="SPI-2007">{{cite news |date=July 15, 2007 |title=Thousands turn out for opening day of new Tacoma Narrows bridge |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Thousands-turn-out-for-opening-day-of-new-Tacoma-1243743.php |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |agency=Associated Press |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The newer eastbound bridge provided the debut for the Good to Go [[RFID]] pass from WSDOT, which allows frequent users to bypass the toll booths by way of a prepaid transponder placed on the inside of the windshield and reducing the toll.<ref name="KOMO-2007">{{cite news |title=New Narrows bridge finally opens |date=July 15, 2007 |url=http://www.komonews.com/news/8519002.html |work=[[KOMO-TV]] |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Special routes==

===Spur route===
{{Infobox road small
|state=WA
|type=SR-Spur
|route=16
|location=[[Gorst, Washington]]
|length_mi=0.39
|length_ref=<ref name="log"/>
|length_round=2
|formed=1988
|yr_ref=<ref name="ATR-1988">{{cite web |author=Staff |year=1988 |title=1988 Annual Traffic Report |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/Annual_Traffic_Report_1988.pdf |page=48 |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref>
}}

SR&nbsp;16 has a {{convert|0.39|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[spur route]] located in [[Gorst, Washington|Gorst]] that travels west from SR&nbsp;16 to southbound [[Washington State Route 3|SR&nbsp;3]].<ref name="log"/><ref name="diagram-3"/> The spur route was added to the state highway system in 1988 after SR&nbsp;16 was re-aligned to avoid [[traffic signal]]s in Gorst.<ref name="ATR-1988"/> WSDOT included the road in its annual [[AADT]] survey in 2012 and calculated that between 4,100 and 8,600 vehicles used the spur route.<ref name="ATR"/>
{{Clear}}

===Alternate route===
{{Infobox road small
|state=WA
|name=State Route 16 AR
|location=[[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]]
|length_mi=0.68
|length_ref=<ref name="log"/>
|length_round=2
|formed=2007
|yr_ref=<ref name="log-2007">{{cite web |author=Staff |year=2007 |title=State Highway Log: Planning Report 2007, SR 2 to SR 971 |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/roadway/pdf/HwyLog2007Statewide.pdf |pages=473–485 |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref>
}}

'''SR&nbsp;16 AR''' is an unsigned {{convert|0.68|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[alternate route]] serving traffic passing through the eastbound [[toll plaza]] (rather than using [[electronic toll collection]]) approaching the [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] in [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce County]].<ref name="log"/><ref name="diagram-MP8-24"/> The route was added to the state highway system in 2007 after the completion of the eastbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge on July 15.<ref name="HL-TNB6"/><ref name="log-2007"/> WSDOT included the road in its annual [[AADT]] survey in 2012 and calculated that 9,100 vehicles used the alternate route.<ref name="ATR"/>

{{Clear}}

==Exit list==
{{jctinttop|exit|length_ref=<ref name="log"/>}}
{{WAint|exit
|county=Pierce
|cspan=15
|location=Tacoma
|lspan=7
|mile=0.00
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=WA|I|5|to2=to|I|705|city1=Seattle|location2=[[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]|location3=[[Tacoma, Washington|City Center]]}}
|notes=Southern terminus}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=0.56
|exit=1A
|road=Sprague Avenue
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=1.31
|exit=1B
|road=Union Avenue
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=2.10
|exit=1C
|road=Center Street&nbsp;– [[Fircrest, Washington|Fircrest]]
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=2.66
|exit=2
|road=South 19th Street, Orchard Street
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=3.80
|exit=3
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|163|dir1=north|name1=Pearl Street|road|[[Sixth Avenue (Tacoma)|6th Avenue]]|city1=Ruston}}
|notes=Southern terminus of SR&nbsp;163}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=4.82
|exit=4
|road=Jackson Avenue, [[Sixth Avenue (Tacoma)|6th Avenue]]&nbsp;– [[University Place, Washington|University Place]]
|notes=}}
{{jctbridge|exit
|location_special=[[Tacoma Narrows]]
|mile=5.20
|mile2=6.33
|bridge=[[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]]}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=6.69
|exit=8
|road=24th Street&nbsp;– [[Tacoma Narrows Airport]]
|type=incomplete
|notes=No eastbound exit}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=none
|exit=8
|mile=6.74
|road=Toll plaza (SR 16 AR)
|type=toll
|notes=Eastbound only
}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=7.57
|exit=9
|road=36th Street&nbsp;– [[Tacoma Narrows Airport]]
|type=incomplete
|notes=Eastbound exit and eastbound entrance only}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=Gig Harbor
|lspan=4
|mile=8.66
|exit=10
|road=Olympic Drive
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=9.93
|exit=
|road=Wollochet Drive Northwest&nbsp;– [[Gig Harbor, Washington|City Center]]
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=12.78
|exit=
|road=Burnham Drive
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=13.68
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|302|dir1=west|city1=Purdy|city2=Key Center}}
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only; eastern terminus of SR&nbsp;302}}
{{WAint|exit
|county=Kitsap
|cspan=9
|location=none
|mile=15.96
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR-Spur|302|dir1=south|to2=to|SR|302|dir2=west|city1=Purdy|city2=Key Center|city3=Shelton}}
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound entrance and eastbound exit only; northern terminus of SR&nbsp;302&nbsp;Spur}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=18.03
|exit=20
|road=Burley-Olalla Road
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=20.54
|exit=
|road=Mullenix Road
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=Port Orchard
|lspan=2
|mile=23.06
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|160|dir1=east|name1=Sedgwick Road|location1=[[Southworth Ferry]]}}
|notes=Western terminus of SR&nbsp;160}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=24.62
|exit=26
|road=Old Clifton Road, Tremont Street
|notes=}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=26.13
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|166|dir1=east|city1=Port Orchard}}
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound entrance and eastbound exit; western terminus of SR&nbsp;166}}
{{jctgap |text=West end of freeway}}
{{WAint|exit
|location=Gorst
|lspan=2
|mile=26.71
|exit=28
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR-Spur|16|to2=to|SR|3|dir2=south|city1=Belfair|city2=Shelton}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of SR&nbsp;16&nbsp;Spur}}
{{WAint|exit
|mile=27.16
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|3|dir1=north|city1=Bremerton|city2=Poulsbo}}
|notes=Northern terminus}}
{{Jctbtm|exit|keys=incomplete,toll}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}

*[http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/sr016.html Highways of Washington State]

{{State highways in Washington related to SR 16}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:State highways in Washington (state)|016]]
[[Category:Transportation in Pierce County, Washington]]
[[Category:Transportation in Kitsap County, Washington]]