Tina Werner, communications, 360-704-3270

Expect up to an eight-day closure for culvert installation this summer

GIG HARBOR – The last chapter in a multi-year fish passage improvement project along State Route 302 is about to begin – and the lion’s share will require up to an eight-day closure of the highway this summer.

Since summer 2019, Granite Construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation have been correcting outdated fish barriers at Minter Creek in the Key Peninsula area of Pierce County. Crews also paved nearly 8 miles of highway and made improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act at multiple intersections west of the SR 16 interchange.

Beginning Monday, June 14, crews will return to Little Minter Creek to replace two small culverts under the highway. During construction, travelers will encounter weekday, daytime lane and shoulder closures as equipment enters the work zone.

“With bridge construction mostly complete at Minter Creek, our crews can now focus their efforts on removing and replacing the two small culverts at Little Minter Creek,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Lone Moody.

WSDOT has not yet scheduled eight-day long closure and will announce it at a later date. During the closures, travelers will follow a signed detour. Travelers can sign up for email updates and plan ahead to avoid delays.

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 2022.

Real-time traffic information is available on the WSDOT app and WSDOT regional Twitter account.