Project overview
This project will remove the fish barrier on State Route 202 just east of Fall City at Mud Creek. The project will also improve the safety and reliability of SR 202 by addressing the need for frequent emergency maintenance and channel dredging at the crossing due to sedimentation and flooding of the roadway during winter storm events. Contractor crews working for WSDOT will reroute Mud Creek 325 feet east from its current location on SR 202 and build a bridge to allow more natural creek flow and reduce flooding.
What to expect
A temporary bypass around the worksite will be created to allow two lanes of traffic through the area during construction. A staging area will be established that minimizes impact for travelers and residents, yet also allows access for work crews. Travelers can expect lane restrictions, lane reduction with flaggers and short delays for work equipment coming and leaving the site. In addition, there will be a short roadway closure to connect the roadway to the new bridge.
This project will improve fish passage under SR 202, just east of Fall City at Mud Creek.
The fish barrier removal on SR 202 at Mud Creek is part of WSDOT’s fish passage program. Replacing the existing culverts and rebuilding the stream channels expands healthy fish habitat; an important step in restoring fish runs and increasing populations. This benefits commercial seafood operations and recreational fishers and provides more food for a declining orca population. Additionally, replacing these fish barriers helps us meet our obligation to remove barriers under the 2013 U.S. District Court injunction.
Up and downstream of SR 202, Mud Creek is confined to an artificially narrow channel preventing natural stream meandering. At the SR 202 crossing, Mud Creek passes through an undersized, four-foot culvert prone to blockage from deposited sediment. The blockage leads to flooding and frequent emergency maintenance, which classifies the site as a chronic environmental deficiency. In response to these events, WSDOT maintenance crews are regularly needed to clear the highway, clean out the culvert, and dredge the stream channel upstream and downstream.
This project on SR 202 at Mud Creek will:
- Correct a fish barrier, allowing fish to spawn upstream of SR 202.
- Fulfill a legal requirement set in the 2013 U.S. District Court injunction.
- Mitigate flooding of SR 202 and nearby areas