Shaping the future of Paradise Lake Road at SR 522

By: Zack Howard

Your input helped us understand your active transportation priorities for Paradise Lake Road around the new SR 522 Interchange.

Spring is a season of growth. That is also true for our state routes. With your help, we are “planting the seeds” for road improvements. These changes will reflect how you use these roads every day. The State Route (SR) 522 project includes:

• Widening SR 522 to two lanes in each direction.
• Building a new eastbound bridge near Fales Road and Echo Lake Road.
• Replacing the Paradise Lake Road intersection with an interchange and bike and pedestrian pathways.
• Installation of four roundabouts along Paradise Lake Road to help transition between highways and local streets
• Removing barriers to help fish swim through local streams.

Community engagement over the last year has focused on active transportation - person-powered ways of getting around, such as walking, biking or rolling - on SR 524/Paradise Lake Road near the new SR 522 interchange. When we launched our online open house and survey in October 2025, the community showed up in a big way. Nearly 1,800 people shared their feedback, helping us better understand what’s working, what’s challenging, and priorities for active transportation.

Project Vicinity Map showing SR 522 between Paradise Lake Road in Maltby and the Snohomish River

Reaching the community

We asked for your feedback to help improve active transportation on SR 524/Paradise Lake Road at the new SR 522 interchange.

Our online open house and survey were open for public participation from October 1 to October 27, 2025. We received 1,788 responses We appreciate everyone who took the time to share their ideas.

To spread the word, we mailed more than 4,500 postcards to local homes and businesses. We also used social media, email newsletters, and our website to reach as many people as possible near the project.

Below is a summary of what we heard and how your feedback shaped our plans.

What we heard: How people travel through this area

Survey responses indicate that about 70% of respondents walk, bike or roll through the area daily, multiple times per day, or on a weekly basis.

Travelers also shared what would make them feel more comfortable, walking, biking or rolling. Many people asked for wider sidewalks and more places to cross the street. Others suggested adding bike lanes and better lighting. These ideas show exactly what we need to help people feel more confident moving through the community.

What we heard: Where people would like to access as a pedestrian or on a bike

Open-ended survey questions helped us better understand where community members would like to go by walking, biking or rolling but currently feel unable to because of lack of existing infrastructure. Responses revealed four main themes:

• Access to nearby cities such as Woodinville, Snohomish, and Monroe.
• Access to specific destinations such as Paradise Valley Conservation Area, the Maltby Café, and local schools.
• General access improvements, such as better connections to trails or improved infrastructure that would allow them to walk or roll to a wider range of places.
• More general concerns, with bike and pedestrian safety being the most frequently mentioned issue.

Overall, we heard that people wanted more space for walking, biking and rolling so that they could access these and other destinations.

How community feedback informed the recommended corridor vision

Feedback from our survey and meetings helped the team choose a preferred design for active transportation.

Feedback and our analysis showed that two designs were the top choices:

• Separated directional bike lanes at the sidewalk level
• Separated two-directional bike lanes at the sidewalk level

Survey results showed that people who live, work and attend school in the area prefer these two options. Local school families told us that walking and biking to school are important ways for students to get around.

Many people shared thoughts on “shared-use” paths. They noted that these paths mix people walking with people biking at higher speeds. This can be difficult for younger children or large families. By keeping walkers and bikers in their own spaces, we provide a better experience for those going to and from school. This design helps everyone move through the area more smoothly.

What’s next?

This project is not currently funded for construction. In the meantime, WSDOT will continue advancing the design phase, along with environmental permitting and right-of-way acquisition. We’ll continue to work with partners and the community to finish the design. This ensures the project will be ready when construction is funded.

We’ll keep the project webpage updated throughout the process. The community input we receive continues to be a valuable part of this process and ensures a strong path forward for the corridor.

Learn more and stay informed

We are committed to transparency throughout this process and your feedback and voice make a difference. Thanks for helping to make this community driven.

Project webpage

Visit the project page for the latest updates, detailed information and recordings/presentations from our Advisory Group meetings.

Email updates: Sign up for news and study updates.

Contact Info
Danielle Morgan
Communications
206-482-2282
Danielle.Morgan@wsdot.wa.gov

Detours ahead: Fish frenzy brings two highway closures to south Kitsap County

By Angela Cochran and Mark Krulish

Q: What is black and white and rolls around the Puget Sound but is definitely not a soccer ball?

A: An orca.

This wasn’t a very good joke (we made it up). But we wanted to tie in fish passage with this summer’s big soccer championship. You know the one. We can’t say the name for legal reasons, but it’s in Seattle. Athletes from around the “world” are going to be there. The title includes another word for a beverage container.

We spotted a pod of orcas playing near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge last September.

Anyway, one of the benefits of removing barriers to fish is feeding orcas! We’re doing our part to appease our marine overlords (well, at least they might see it that way).

If you live in Kitsap or Mason County and plan on attending any of the games, you’ll want to plan extra travel time.

Although the matches don’t start until June, we’ve already started work at two fish passage projects. One is in the Gorst area. That project ultimately will remove barriers to fish at five locations along State Route 3, SR 16 and SR 166. The other fish barrier is south of Port Orchard under SR 160, known to most as Sedgwick Road.

Fish passage projects will close two highways on the same day in Kitsap County. SR 3 will close near Sunnyslope Road, and SR 160 will close near Long Lake Road.

Double red card

We plan on closing both SR 3 and SR 160 (Sedwick Road) on the same day, Saturday, June 13. We know that any road closure is at the least inconvenient. The closures will allow crews to remove and replace the highway in a relatively short time. SR 3 will be closed for 16 days so crews can install a new culvert that allows fish migration. Sedgwick Road will close for about four months while crews build a new bridge over Salmonberry Creek.

For both locations, closing the road means faster construction time and reduced environmental effects from building roads in wetlands. For the SR 3 location, it also comes with a cost savings of about half a million dollars.

Please note that we’re well aware of what’s happening in Seattle and the number of tourists who’ll surely visit this side of Puget Sound. We’ve done a lot to limit construction effects in the Greater Seattle area due to the tournament that we can’t legally name (rhymes with pearled pup). At the same time, we have a limited time period that we can work in a stream. This is determined by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife when fish are less active, and it varies by location. Plus, we’re under a federal court injunction to remove hundreds of barriers to fish by 2030, and that isn’t too far away.

SR 160/Sedgwick Road closure near Port Orchard

Travelers will see two signed detours for the SR 160 closure. 

If you’re headed towards the Southworth ferry, be prepared to take a short detour around a closure on Sedgwick Road (SR 160). In the late evening on Saturday, June 13, the highway will close between Blackberry Hill Lane and Long Lake Road until the end of October.

• Drivers will use Jackson Avenue, Salmonberry Road and Long Lake Road to get around the closure.
• People who walk, roll or bike will use Phillips Road, Salmonberry Road, Long Lake Road and Lakeview Drive.

Once the roadway reopens, work will stop until crews return in summer 2027 to remove the culvert and recreate the stream. The work at Salmonberry is one part of a larger fish barrier removal effort. A second location at Blackjack Creek on SR 16 near the Sedgwick Road interchange is scheduled to be complete in fall 2026.

SR 3 closure near Gorst

The morning of Saturday, June 13, we’re planning on closing a section of SR 3 between Belfair and Bremerton. The highway will remain closed around the clock for 16 days.

SR 3 travelers should plan extra time for the detour route. Signed detours will be available for people who drive, walk, roll or bike.

During the closure, our contractor will remove a section of the roadway near Sunnyslope Road Southwest. A new 150-foot-long box culvert will replace the smaller, outdated culvert under the highway.

SR 3 will remain open to residential and business traffic just north and south of the construction work zone. We’ll also have signed detours so you can still get to your destination with a little advanced planning.

While SR 3 is closed, travelers will see three signed detour routes:

• Drivers will use Sunnyslope Road Southwest and Southwest Lake Flora Road.
• People who walk, roll or bike can use Northeast Old Belfair Highway/West Belfair Valley Road.
• Commercial vehicles will be routed to SR 16 and SR 302.

Crews will work double shifts to make sure the work is completed on time.

While we are pretty sure that the SR 3 closure will happen on June 13, the schedule may change for a couple of reasons. The new culvert is being assembled off-site. If there are any issues with the assembly process, the closure could happen later. We are also waiting for the creek to dry out. Gorst Creek is a seasonal stream. This means that at some point during the warmer months, there is very little to no water in the stream. If we get a lot of rain between now and the closure date, we may need to divert the water, which can take more time to set up. We will continue to monitor the culvert assembly and weather for changes. We’ll update the project webpage and real-time travel map as schedules are finalized.

A larger concrete culvert will replace the current one under the highway. The blue flags mark the corners of the new culvert.

Why we remove fish barriers in seasonal streams

Some streams have seasonal flow, which means they may be dry at times, but they are still important to fish. For example, chum and pink salmon fry migrate directly to saltwater shortly after emerging from gravels in the spring. So, a stream that dries during the summer is not a concern for their life cycle. These streams can also sustain young or juvenile coho salmon. According to researchers, this is because there are often residual pools scattered through watersheds where they can wait out the dry periods. In these situations, young fish can benefit from using seasonal streams. It has been documented in studies linked on the Washington State Department of National Resources and on the Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture websites, juvenile coho using seasonal streams are larger and have a greater chance of survival than streams with year-round flow. Researchers think that this may be due to reduced competition for food resources compared to year-round streams.

Gorst Creek potentially supports chum, coho, steelhead, sea-run cutthroat and resident trout.

SR 16 construction

Work is underway on SR 16 near Tremont Street West. People will see nighttime lane closures for early work and into construction as crews start building a temporary bypass road. The temporary bypass road will have two lanes in each direction. Travelers will also see detours for people who walk, roll and bike. Once the bypass road is in place, crews will start work digging up the highway. Travelers will see the speed limit temporarily reduced from 60 mph to 45 mph. A bridge will replace the outdated culvert under the highway. We expect this site to take two years to complete with work pausing for winter.

During work on SR 16, a signed detour via SR 16 Spur, Feigley Road and Southwest Old Clifton Road will be available for people who walk, bike or roll.

Future work

Work is also planned at three other locations: SR 16 in Gorst, the intersection of SR 3, SR 16 spur and West Sam Christopherson Avenue in Gorst, and Southeast Mile Hill Drive (SR 166) near Veterans Memorial Park in east Port Orchard. We are still working through some details on start dates and how traffic will move through these work zones. We do know that travelers will see lane closures as well as detours for people who walk, roll or bike.

Travel tools

No matter which work zone you need to navigate through this summer and beyond, we will get you where you need to go. It just may take a little longer than usual.

Make sure to check our online open house for the latest updates. You can also sign up for email alerts on state highway projects happening in Kitsap County. Download our app for real-time traffic information and alerts.

Improving safety along US 395 north of Pasco

Safety is our top priority. We know many people in the Tri-Cities have concerns about safety along US 395 north of Pasco. We want to share the improvements already made and why. We also want to share how we’re continuing to work with the community to improve safety.

Understanding the safety challenges

The section of US 395 from south of Foster Wells Road to just north of Eltopia has seen more crashes in recent years. Between 2020 and 2025, there were 293 crashes. That includes:

• 12 fatal crashes
• 19 fatalities
• 10 serious injury crashes
• 18 serious injuries

We take every crash seriously. We’ve reviewed locations along US 395 to identify patterns. That has helped us decide if safety improvements could help reduce crashes.

Our review found many of the fatal crashes shared similar characteristics. Most happened during daylight hours and in clear weather conditions. These crashes often involve drivers entering US 395 from side streets onto a high-speed highway. The Washington State Patrol also helped us to better understand the factors behind these recent crashes. Their investigations showed that a key issue was that drivers have a hard time judging the speed of vehicles already on US 395.

Safety improvements completed

In 2020, we completed a $15 million project to improve safety at several intersections, including these roads:

• Foster Wells
• Vineyard
• Phend
• Crestloch
• Sagemoor
• East Elm
• Eltopia West

Improvements included new acceleration and deceleration lanes, upgraded lighting and enhancing warning and directional signs.

Recently, we added signs along this road to warn drivers about vehicles entering and exiting. This is part of our ongoing efforts along US 395, not a result of recent legislation. These changes give drivers more time and space to safely merge, slow down, and react to traffic conditions.

Why the speed limit change

Following our review of the corridor, we reduced the speed limit from 70 mph to 65 mph in key areas earlier this year. Speed limits aren’t set randomly. We evaluate roadway design, traffic conditions, access points, and crash history when deciding on speeds. Lower speeds give drivers more time to react and can help make the crashes less severe if they do happen.

Education is the next step

As we reviewed crashes along the corridor, one common theme stood out. Drivers didn’t know how to use the acceleration and deceleration lanes. This makes the need for driver education even more important.

When you are driving on US 395, stay alert for vehicles entering from side streets. Be prepared for traffic slowing near intersections and businesses. When entering the highway, use the full length of the acceleration lanes to reach traffic speed before merging. When exiting the highway, move into the deceleration lane early and use the lane to slow down after leaving the main travel lanes. Slowing down in the through lane can create unexpected conflicts for drivers behind you.

The Washington State Patrol and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission helped us make a driver education video on entering and exiting the highway. We are giving safety information to local businesses. We’ll also be at community events with information to help drivers better understand the corridor.

Looking ahead

We are still tracking crash trends. We will evaluate future safety options. There are currently no funded projects planned, but more improvements may be considered if funding becomes available.

Improving safety on US 395 requires a combination of engineering, education, enforcement, and community partnership. We appreciate the community’s continued engagement as we work together to make this corridor safer for everyone.

The End of the “Rough Road” in Southwest Washington

If you drive in Southwest Washington, you’ve seen the signs.

Rough Roads.
Slower speeds.
A bumpy ride.

In Clark County, two stretches along Interstate 5 and State Route 14 have “Rough Road” signs displayed. Years of increased traffic, aging pavement and tough weather have taken a toll. The result: cracked surfaces, potholes and temporary fixes.

But that’s about to change.

Both locations are getting the long-term attention they need this summer, leading to smoother, safer trips.

Like many preservation projects across the state, these improvements depend on available funding, which means we often have to prioritize the most urgent needs first and fix them in phases. Now, it’s time for these two highways to finally get their turn.

A smoother ride on SR 14

For years, drivers crossing the SR 14 West Camas Slough bridge have felt the wear and tear firsthand. Potholes and ruts keep coming back, making each trip a bumpy one.

Maintenance crews have stayed busy patching and making repairs as needed, but those fixes have always been temporary. Until now.

In summer 2026, crews will begin a full resurfacing project on the bridge.

The work includes:

• Removing old asphalt
• Inspecting and repairing the concrete deck
• Adding a new waterproofing layer
• Paving new asphalt
• Replacing four expansion joints

When the work is finished, travelers can expect a smoother, more reliable crossing with fewer maintenance closures. No more dodging potholes that kept bouncing back.

Taking a new approach on I-5

Another rough stretch lies on southbound I-5 that many drivers know all too well.

Between Northeast 179th Street and the I-5/I-205 split, thousands of concrete panels have carried traffic for decades, well beyond their intended lifespan. Many panels are broken and uneven, creating a rough and bumpy drive.

Concrete must be flat before it can be paved over. Simply adding asphalt on top won’t fix the problem. Over the last several years we’ve replaced the worst panels, but there’s just too many to repair one by one.

Now, we’re trying something different.

In summer 2026, crews will use a method called “crack, seat and overlay” to rebuild the roadway.

Here’s how it works:

• The old concrete is cracked into smaller pieces.
• Those pieces are pressed down firmly into place.
• Several layers of asphalt are added on top.

This method allows us to repair a larger stretch of highway quickly while keeping costs down.

But the work doesn’t stop there. Crews will also address the stretch of I-5 just north of the crack, seat, and overlay work, between NE 179th Street and Ridgefield. First, this summer, crews will replace the worst of the worst panels, and then in 2027 return to complete the full crack, seat, and overlay work. There’s more to come and smoother rides ahead.

The road to smooth ahead

When these projects wrap up at, those familiar “Rough Road” signs will disappear.

We know these roads are part of your daily routine. Whether you’re commuting to work, moving goods, taking a road trip, or running errands, every trip matters.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we make these improvements. We can’t wait to put the bumps behind us and look forward to smoother roads ahead.