News

Find news releases and announcements about the agency in our virtual newsroom. 

Fish barrier, begone! Critical salmon run near State Route 305 now open for fish migration

Posted 11/30/2023

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – A 16-month effort to remove and replace a barrier to fish migration on State Route 305 on Bainbridge Island is now complete.

Northbound I-5 in Seattle to close weeknights for three weeks starting Dec. 4

Posted 11/30/2023

SEATTLE – Nighttime travelers making their way north through downtown Seattle on Interstate 5 should plan for 12 overnight closures starting Monday, Dec. 4, while crews replace an electronic sign mounted above the highway.

Despite extra work caused by cold winters, regional repair project creates smoother ride on 17 bridges

Posted 11/30/2023

If the past two winters seemed a little more harsh than usual to you, our bridges felt it, too.

Correction: New SR 302 Spur bridge opening in Purdy Dec. 2

Posted 11/29/2023

PURDY - Starting Saturday, Dec. 2, travelers will no longer have to detour around the SR 302 Spur in Purdy when the new bridge opens to traffic.

Amtrak Cascades adds two more daily roundtrips starting Dec. 11

Posted 11/29/2023

OLYMPIA – Just in time for the holidays, WSDOT and ODOT are starting two additional Amtrak Cascades daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland. Beginning Monday, Dec. 11, more trains will run in both directions – for a total of 12 trains every day between the two most popular cities on the route.

Climate mitigation and the Highway System Plan

Posted 11/28/2023

The draft Highway System Plan (HSP) addresses many diverse and complex issues, one of which is Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG).

Finding salmon in Purdy Creek and opening the new SR 302 Spur bridge

Posted 11/28/2023

As Gill said in Finding Nemo, “Fish aren’t made to be in a box, kid.” And even if many drains do lead to the ocean, fish may not be able to swim through some culverts along the way. Now, fish won’t struggle to pass under the State Route 302 Spur in Purdy.

Work wraps up at two fish barrier projects in Jefferson County

Posted 11/21/2023

QUILCENE – It was a busy summer in Jefferson County opening habitats for local fish. Two big projects, one on US 101 and the other on State Route 104 and SR 19, have wrapped up.

Replacing the Elwha River Bridge

Posted 11/21/2023

After serving the Olympic Peninsula for almost 100 years, the beloved Elwha River Bridge has reached the end of its useful life

That’s a wrap: Highway construction from Yakima to Walla Walla winds down for 2023

Posted 11/21/2023

YAKIMA – The approach of the calendar year’s end brings with it a number of significant highway construction milestones. With so many improvements made on highways between Yakima and Walla Walla in 2023, here is a brief recap of some of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s construction activity across…

166,800 electric vehicle

registrations in Washington in 2023, up from 114,600 in 2022.

87 wetland compensation sites

actively monitored on 918 acres in 2023.

25,000 safe animal crossings

in the Snoqualmie Pass East Project area since 2014.