Project news

• Work at Trafton Creek will take place during spring/summer 2020.
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Needs & benefits

In 2019, Washington State Department of Transportation contractor crews from Kiewit replaced a culvert at Schoolyard Creek, which runs under State Route 530, between Arlington and Darrington, in Snohomish County with a larger fish culvert to improve fish passage. Work on the culvert at Trafton Creek scheduled for this summer is postponed until summer 2020.

The speed of the water going through the old culvert for Schoolyard Creek did not allow fish to easily navigate through it. Improving this culvert opens about 2.8 miles of additional habitat for Coho salmon, steelhead and resident, bull and sea-run cutthroat trout.

Correcting fish passages is an important part of the state’s effort to protect and restore salmon runs and meet legal responsibilities. When completed, the fish passage improvements through Trafton and Schoolyard creeks will help restore the area to a natural state, improving fish passage, helping WSDOT comply with the 2013 U.S. District Court ruling that the state must remove culverts under highways that block habitat for salmon and steelhead.

What to expect

In summer 2020, SR 530 will shift onto a single-bypass for about 10 weeks as crews replace the culvert at Trafton Creek. The bypass will be controlled by temporary signals. Dates will be announced in spring 2020.

People traveling SR 530 between Darrington and Rockport also should plan for minor traffic delays for another project to reinforce the river bank along the Sauk River north of milepost 55.

Timeline

Spring 2018: Project awarded to Kiewit.
May 14, 2019: Open house, at the Darrington Community Center.
May 21, 2019: Open house at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Arlington.
Late spring 2019: Construction begins.
July 25, 2019: Regular SR 530 closes near Lind Road, Schoolyard Creek one-lane bypass opens.
Sept. 5, 2019: Traffic returns to the regular SR 530 route at Schoolyard Creek.
July 2020: Regular SR 530 route closes near Arnot Road, Trafton Creek bypass opens
September 2020: Traffic returns to regular SR 530 route at Trafton Creek.
Fall 2020: Construction complete.