Project news

• View construction progress photos. 
• A temporary bypass lane has been constructed to allow for one-way alternating traffic through fall of 2020. Kayakers and pleasure craft will not be able to pass through the channel under the crossing at Kilisut Harbor. Due to safety considerations, the pedestrian trail to Isthmus Beach is closed around-the-clock through fall of 2020. The trail west of that location is still open to the public. 

Needs & benefits

The goal of this project, spearheaded by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) and funded by its partners, is to restore historic tidal channels and fish runs between southern Kilisut Harbor and Oak Bay in Jefferson County by creating approximately 2,300 acres of productive habitat in Puget Sound. WSDOT will administer the construction contract to build the new bridge to replace the existing causeway, which has been identified as a barrier to fish. WSDOT and NOSC aim to re-establish major northern and southern migratory fish channels for juvenile and adult salmonoids, including ESA-listed Hood Canal summer Chum, Puget Sound Chinook and Puget Sound Steelhead.  

This work is part of WSDOT’s Fish Passage Barrier Removal Program, which identifies and removes barriers to fish caused by culverts under state highways. WSDOT works in partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify culverts that, once replaced, will increase fish habitat.

During construction, travelers will encounter reduced speeds and one-way alternating traffic at the work zone throughout the entirety of the project. Any total roadway closures will be announced in advance.

The End Result 

The new bridge will sport 11-foot lanes with four-foot shoulders. Crews will accommodate traffic while improving local fish migration and restoring the estuary to a more natural state.

Timeline

• May 2019: Advertise contract for competitive bids
• June 19, 2019: Contract awarded to Cascade Bridge LLC.
• Aug. 5, 2019: Construction begins
• Mid-Sept. 2019: Traffic will alternate using a temporary signal around-the-clock through project completion
• July 2020: Traffic switched over onto the new bridge
• Fall 2020: Most work is complete