I-5 speed limit lowered in Tacoma after crashes

After eight semi crashes on I-5 in Tacoma since September, the Washington State Department of Transportation has lowered the speed limit.

The crashes are happening in the construction zone that starts in Fife and stretches south of the Tacoma Dome. Now instead of 60 mph, it has dropped to 50 mph.

The State Patrol says most of the crashes happened in early morning hours when traffic is moving quickly. They also seemed to be more frequent when it's raining.

Troopers will be out to enforce the new speed limit. It will stay in place until the construction is complete.

The first of eight crashes happened on Sept. 30. Other crashes happened on October 8, October 25, November 21, December 11, January 17 and 23 and March 26.

Between April 1, 2018 and March 31 there were 1,574 collisions between milepost 130 and milepost 136, the State Patrol said. Of those, 15 percent – 237 collisions – involved speeding.

Cox Media Group