Date:  Friday, March 13, 2009

Contact: Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT communications, 360-757-5947 (Burlington)
Chris Damitio, WSDOT project engineer, 360-788-7400 (Bellingham)

GLACIER – WSDOT will shore up a section of riverbank adjacent to SR 542 (Mount Baker Highway) to stabilize the road and provide better fish habitat.

WSDOT recently awarded a $395,000 contract to Tapani Underground, Inc. of Battle Ground to install 18 engineered log jams and 31 tethered log structures along the bank of the Nooksack River near Warnick Bluff, west of Glacier. Construction is expected to begin in June.

Improvements to the Warnick Bluff area are part of a series of projects designed to keep the Nooksack River and its tributaries from washing away Mount Baker Highway or causing emergency closures during winter storms and flooding. The projects, many of which will be under construction in 2010, add up to more than $16.6 million in improvements and will support nearly 167 local construction jobs.

Drivers can expect minor delays during construction near Warnick Bluff as most work will take place off the road.

For more information about Mount Baker Highway improvements, visit the project Web page at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR542/NooksackRiverImprovements/.  

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