Project news

• Beginning Monday, June 21, crews will return to the Key Peninsula area of Purdy to begin efforts to install new culverts at Little Minter Creek. The work requires weekday daytime lane and shoulder closures through early fall. The lion's-share will require up to an eight-day closure of SR 302 to install the culverts with a signed detour in place. The dates of the culvert installation have not been scheduled. Travelers are encouraged to sign up for project email alerts for the latest announcements. 
• View Pierce County travel alerts for most current, real-time events near SR 302/SR 16.
• Due to close proximity, deck repairs on the nearby SR 302 Purdy Spit Bridge were initially included as part of the fish passage improvement project. That work has been removed from this project and included in separate bridge rehabilitation project that was previously scheduled. WSDOT plans to advertise a contract for bridge repairs to the contracting community by early spring 2023.
• View construction progress photos.

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 and make ADA improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians at the intersections of SR 302/Purdy Drive NW and SR 302/94th Ave NW.

The speed limit from mileposts 10 to 11 is reduced from 45 mph to 25 mph. Travelers should expect weekday daytime lane and shoulder closures through summer of 2021.

During construction, drivers should expect daytime lane and shoulder closures at the culvert sites, and weekday, overnight on- and off-ramp closures from SR 16 to SR 302. Contractor crews 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)
• June 21, 2021:  Work resumes at Little Minter Creek.
• Mid-summer 2021: Up to an eight-day closure of SR 302 at Little Minter Creek for culvert installation. These dates will be announced as they are scheduled.
• Fall 2021: Most work is complete

Funding