Weather permitting, between 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 and 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, travelers will see single-lane closures and a rolling slowdown as eastbound SR 16 travel lanes are shifted into the median. Travelers can expect overnight single-lane closures on eastbound SR 16 weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Lane closures on westbound SR 16 are allowed weeknights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Project overview
This project improves habitat and passage for fish in Purdy Creek under State Route 16 and the SR 302 Spur.
Purdy Creek attempts to flow under SR 16 inside a 40-year-old culvert. Many fish species cannot swim through the old culvert. This project will replace the culvert with two 206-foot-long bridge structures. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates this work will create about 5.6 miles of new habitat. Purdy Creek is home to juvenile Chinook, coho and chum salmon. Adult and juvenile steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout and sculpin are also found in the creek.
Purdy Creek also runs under the SR 302 Spur through an old culvert before it enters the tidal flats of the Burley Lagoon. The culvert is challenging for fish to navigate. During summer 2023, crews filled in the old culvert and started building a 77-foot-long bridge structure. WDFW estimates this work will open a total of 6.5 miles of habitat.
This work will help preserve the integrity of the highways and reduce maintenance costs by reducing or eliminating the possibility of culvert blockages.
What to expect
In early October 2022, construction crews moved two westbound lanes of SR 16 towards the median. The work zone and reduced speed limit was in place for a year.
In mid-August 2023, travelers began following a new traffic pattern with the opening of the westbound bridge. Work is underway to shift the eastbound lanes into the median. Once the lanes are shifted, the speed limit on eastbound SR 16 will be reduced from 60 mph to 45 mph between mileposts 18 and 17.15.
Travelers will see overnight single-lane closures in the work zone. Lane closures on westbound SR 16 are allowed weeknights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Lane closures on eastbound SR 16 are allowed weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The long-term detour for SR 302 Spur/Purdy Drive using Purdy Lane Northwest from 144th Street Northwest to the SR 302 Spur began on April 2, 2023. Setting up the detour included paving Purdy Lane Northwest and installing a temporary signal at the intersection of 144th Street Northwest and Purdy Lane Northwest. The detour will be in place for about eight months while crews remove an old culvert under SR 302 Spur.
The detour for the SR 302 Spur does not accommodate large trucks or oversized loads. All freight traffic will follow a signed detour via SR 16 and Burnham Drive.
This map shows the locations of where old culverts will be removed and replaced with a larger structure that will improve habitat for fish in Purdy Creek.
