Contractor team selected for the final stage of the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County

PIERCE COUNTY – The finish line for the State Route 167 Completion Project in Pierce County is getting closer with the selection of a contractor for the fourth and final stage of design and construction.

On Thursday, May 22, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced that Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture is the highest scoring proposer for a progressive design-build contract for the remaining 2.6 miles of the SR 167 Expressway between I-5 in Fife and SR 161/North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup.

The selection of Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture means that all seven Puget Sound Gateway Program projects to finish SR 167 in Pierce County and SR 509 in south King County are either complete, under construction or final design and construction is imminent.

General contractors Kraemer North America and Kent-based Scarsella Bros., Inc. joined forces to submit a proposal for the last stage of the SR 167 Completion Project. WSDOT evaluated five different teams and invited two of them to submit proposals.

“The quality of both proposing teams was outstanding,” said SR 167 Project Manager Steve Fuchs. “In the end, Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture stood out for its extensive experience successfully delivering progressive design-build projects, including its current project building Confluence Parkway in Wenatchee.”

About progressive design-build

WSDOT is using a contracting method called progressive design-build on a major highway construction project for the first time. It is the same contracting method being used to correct 58 fish barrier locations in western Washington.

Progressive design-build divides the contract into two phases. During the first phase, Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture will collaboratively review and confirm the initial designs with WSDOT. WSDOT and the contracting team will identify and mitigate project risks and incorporate design and construction innovations. A final construction cost for the project will be developed and agreed upon. The second phase of the contract includes completing the final design and construction.

“This progressive design-build contract provides us with multiple advantages in our current economic climate,” said Puget Sound Gateway Program Administrator John White. “It allows us to work collaboratively with the contractor to make sure that we all agree in advance on construction strategies, innovations, risks and together we develop the costs associated with those elements.”

The contract is worth up to $475 million.

Design work will continue for approximately a year with construction slated to begin in mid-2026.

In addition to completing the four-lane expressway, the project also includes:

• Multimodal elements, including connections to regional trails.
• Local road and intersection improvements.
• Eight new bridges.
• Restoration of approximately 90 acres of stream and wetland habitat.

A 3D project video highlighting the expressway, multimodal features and other improvements is available on WSDOT’s YouTube site with translations in five languages.

SR 167 Completion Project information

The SR 167 Completion Project builds 6 miles of new tolled highway between Puyallup and the Port of Tacoma. The first stage of work completed the new Wapato Way East bridge and SR 99 roundabout in Fife. The second stage builds the expressway between I-5 and the Port of Tacoma. It’s scheduled to open in 2026. Work on the third stage between SR 161/North Meridian Avenue and SR 410 began in 2025. The entire project is planned for completion by 2030.  
Photos of construction work are available on the project’s Flickr page.

Puget Sound Gateway Program overview

The Puget Sound Gateway Program also includes the SR 509 Completion Project in south King County. Together, the two completion projects finish critical missing links in Washington’s highway and freight network.