• Project

US 101/SR 116 North Olympic Peninsula – Remove Fish Barriers

At 7 a.m. Monday, March 3, US 101 at milepost 246.37 at Tumwater Creek will close for 80 days. The detour route is West Front Street/West 1st Street, Marine Drive and Tumwater Truck Route (State Route 117).

Project overview

This project removes and replaces several outdated culverts under US 101 and State Route 116 at Lees, Ennis, Tumwater and Chimacum Creeks. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has identified these sites as barriers to salmon migration and other resident fish species.

WSDOT will replace outdated culverts with new structures for improved fish migration in the streams below as part of a statewide fish barrier correction program.

Timeline
Fall 2024 - Fall 2026
Project status
Construction
Funding
$146 million

What to expect

Currently, our design builder is finalizing the design of the project. This will determine the length of closures needed at each construction site. More details will become available as design work progresses.

The locations for culvert replacement are:

  • US 101 at Lees Creek (milepost 250.5)
  • US 101 at Ennis Creek (milepost 250.2)
  • US 101 at Tumwater Creek (milepost 246.4)
  • SR 116 at Chimacum Creek (milepost 0.22)

Work at Tumwater Creek will begin on Monday, March 3. At 7 a.m. on March 3, US 101 at Tumwwater Creek will close for 80 days. The detour route will be SR 117 for vehicles. Bicycles and pedestrians will use local roads to get around the closure.

Construction at Lees and Ennis Creeks on US 101 just outside Port Angeles will begin in March. An exact start date will be announced in advance. There will be no daytime lane reductions at Lees and Ennis Creeks. Travelers will see shifted lanes instead as crews work to build new bridges. The speed limit at Lees and Ennis Creeks will be reduced to 25 mph during construction.

Work on Chimacum Creek will begin in the summer of 2025. Travelers can expect a long-term closure of SR 116 at the creek between Shotwell Place and Chimacum Creek Drive. Travelers will use SR 19, Irondale Road and Chimacum Road to detour around the closure.

WSDOT and the design-builder will coordinate with local agencies and emergency services to minimize delays and keep people moving through work zones.

Crews will correct barriers to salmon migration under SR 116 at Chimacum Creek beginning in Summer 2024. Work on US 101 at Lees, Ennis and Tumwater Creeks will begin in 2025.