I-5 Fisher Creek Culvert Replacement Project South of Mount Vernon Starts May 2

MOUNT VERNON – Salmon, steelhead and other fish are gaining access to more than 17 miles of habitat south of Mount Vernon thanks to an 18-month project adding two bridges to Interstate 5.

On Monday, May 2, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation begin replacing an undersized culvert at Fisher Creek under I-5 with twin 110-foot-long bridges between Starbird Road and State Route 534.

To keep traffic moving, crews are building the bridges in phases, starting with the southbound bridge. Drivers will use a temporary two-lane bypass in the median of I-5 during the work.

“Reducing traffic from three lanes to two shouldn’t cause a significant delay for drivers,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Shane Spahr. “This temporary traffic shift will give crews the room they need to start excavating and building the first of the two bridges.”

What can drivers expect?
• Starting May 2, crews will build a two-lane bypass lane in the median.
• The speed limit in the 1.5-mile construction area will be reduced to 60 mph.
• Southbound I-5 traffic will shift onto the bypass in early June.
• When construction of the southbound bridge is complete this winter, traffic will shift to its permanent alignment on the new bridge. Crews will then convert the bypass lanes for a northbound traffic shift this winter.
• When construction of the new northbound I-5 bridge is finished in March 2017, traffic will shift onto the new I-5 northbound bridge lanes and the project will be complete.

Improving fish passage
Crews will remove the old culvert and improve the stream-bed and bank with native plants, gravel and rock to finish the project by fall 2017.

The Fisher Creek fish passage is one of 850 culverts statewide affected by a 2013 U.S. District Court ruling requiring the removal of state-owned culverts that act as a barrier to salmon and steelhead by 2030. The existing culvert channels water in a way that is not deep enough at certain times of the year, and also allows water to flow too fast during other times. The $8.8 million project is funded through a combination of the Connecting Washington package and per-existing funds.

 

Information Provided by Marqise Allen, WSDOT communications. See the WSDOT Information Release by Clicking here.