Culvert construction closes Chuckanut Drive

SR 11/Chuckanut Drive north of Old Samish Road is closed through Aug. 17 for replacing a 24-inch concrete culvert with a 12-foot round culvert. This “will allow fish and other aquatic species to use nearly a mile of habitat upstream for the first time in nearly a century,” states a Washington Department of Transportation website page.

Hoag’s Creek runs under SR 11 just south of Fairhaven. Fish passage is blocked by the small culvert above the creek’s surface. “Removing a single barrier can improve fish access for miles both upstream and downstream. When rivers and streams are connected, fish can better access the habitat they need,” the WSDOT webpage states.

There is a signed detour.

Project costs are about $3.4 million. Funding is from the Connecting Washington transportation package and federal and state sources

Source: WSDOT