Project news

• Contractor crews have begun work to clear and establish a work zone, and remove overgrown or dead vegetation near Minter Creek culverts to build a bypass for travelers during construction. Throughout the duration of the project, drivers should expect weekday daytime lane and shoulder closures as work progresses.
• Travelers nearby should also be aware that Pierce County Public Works has a construction project underway to make improvements to 62nd Avenue NW near 144th Street NW which may effect motorists near the SR 302 Purdy Bridge. This work is not being done by WSDOT and all inquiries about this particular sidewalk improvement and signal installation job should be directed to Pierce County.
• WSDOT encourages travelers, residents and local businesses to sign up for email notifications regarding this project.
• The greatest traffic impact will be up to three weekend closures of the SR 302 Purdy Spit for bridge deck repairs scheduled for summer 2020. The bridge deck work will take place day and night. A signed detour will be in place during construction.
• Paving and deck repairs will require warm, dry weather conditions. Paving operations will occur overnight, when traffic volumes are less. 

Needs & benefits

This large cumulative project will remove and replace three fish barrier culverts on State Route 302 in Pierce County with fish passable structures (two with larger culverts and one with a bridge). Additionally, crews will repave nearly 8 miles of highway, complete deck repairs to the Purdy Spit Bridge and make ADA improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians at the intersections of SR 302/Purdy Drive NW and SR 302/94th Ave NW.

During construction, drivers should expect daytime lane and shoulder closures at the culvert sites, three full weekend closures scheduled for summer 2020 for deck repairs, and weekday, overnight on- and off-ramp closures from SR 16 to SR 302.Contractor crews for WSDOT will conduct earthwork, culvert installation, paving, guardrail repairs and installation, stream profile realignment, stream restoration, erosion control and water management.  

The End Result

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 State Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify fish species under state-owned highways and project anticipated habitat gain. Once complete, the potential habitat gain for fish is 25 miles (21.3 miles for Minter Creek and 3.7 miles for Little Minter Creek).

Timeline

• April 2019: Contract advertised for competitive bidding
• June 20, 2019: Contract awarded to Granite Construction Company 
• 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 26, 2019: Construction begins to clear and establish a work zone near Minter Creek to build the bypass
• Fall and Winter 2019: Construction continues to build a new bridge at Minter Creek (while traffic uses the adjacent bypass)
• Spring and summer 2020: Repair the deck on the SR 302 Purdy Spit Bridge
• Fall 2020: Most work is complete

Funding