This scenic road will close for two weeks starting Aug. 3
Part of Chuckanut Drive near Old Samish Road will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, Aug. 3.
The historic, scenic road also known as State Route 11, will be closed around the clock as work crews replace an ill-suited 24-inch round fish culvert funneling Hoag’s Creek under the road, according to a news release.
Detour signs will direct drivers around the worksite. Northbound drivers will have to take Old Samish Drive to 30th Street and then take Old Fairhaven Parkway. Southbound drivers will have to take Old Fairhaven Parkway to 30th Street before getting onto Chuckanut Drive.
Bicyclists can use the same detour or use the Interurban Trail, which will remain open throughout the project. However, both bicyclists and drivers need to prepare for longer commutes because of the project.
A 12-foot fish culvert will replace the old one, allowing fish and other aquatic species to access nearly a mile of habitat upstream – a first in nearly a century, according to the project website.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is directing the $3.4 million project that is meant to protect and restore local fish populations.
Removing this barrier for fish will improve commercial and recreational fishing and benefit orca food supplies in the Puget Sound, according to the website.
The size of the culvert was corrected July 29, 2020.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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