Immense gratitude for your help during US 101 work near Gardiner

By Doug Adamson

We asked for the community’s help while we closed a lane of US 101 at Eagle Creek on the Olympic Peninsula, and the community listened. We’re incredibly appreciative of the help, understanding and advance planning travelers took during our work.

We removed a culvert that was a barrier to fish at Eagle Creek. With your help, we were able to install a culvert that has the potential to increase habitat for fish.

We have some more work to do. It mostly involves rebuilding the streambed to benefit all life cycles of fish. While we’ll still need some overnight one-way alternating traffic, major construction that affects travel is complete. Everyone working together helped ease some of the construction disruption. Thank you.

Crews worked around-the-clock to finish culvert construction on US 101 near Gardiner.

Lane closure equaled hours-long backups

Whether you sat in traffic for 90 minutes or three hours, we can all agree that Monday, Aug. 14 – the first day of the one-lane bypass – was brutal. The hours-long delays were awful. We heard from a lot of people about the situation. After seeing backups, we quickly retimed the traffic signal at each end of the bypass road based on travel patterns. While that helped, it’s travelers who get the credit for helping reduce backups in the following days.

And about that 90-minute estimate. …we arrived at that time based on traffic modeling. There are big variables, such as the independent actions of each traveler. There is no way to predict what every person will do. Traffic modeling is based on data and trends we’ve historically seen. A lot of people travel across the Olympic Peninsula on Mondays during the summer. Tuesday and Wednesday traffic volumes are lower, but things start to build again on Thursday as we approach the weekend.

Why do this work in the summer travel season?

If we could do this work in November, we probably would. Fish passage projects restrict dates for when crews can work in the water. The so-called “fish window” is typically mid-July through September. For Eagle Creek, the narrow window was July 16 to Aug. 30. In-stream work windows are intended to minimize impacts to aquatic species.

For most of the year, we aren’t able to do significant work on fish passages.
For Eagle Creek, time was even more limited.

Plus, we need to divert the stream into a pipe during the work. It’s a meandering sleepy stream in the summer. The stream can turn into a torrent during our screaming rains seen between November and March. It’s a real balancing act to keep people moving and excavate both lanes of the road. If we miss our fish window, it can delay the project an entire year. That’s something we want to avoid.

One culvert down, five to go on US 101 between Sequim and Discovery Bay

We have so many fish barrier removal locations on the Olympic Peninsula, we’ve grouped several into bundled projects. This work near Gardiner (Eagle Creek) was one culvert in a project that has six locations. They are located over a 10-mile section of US 101 in both Clallam and Jefferson counties.

So are we going to close one lane of US 101 five more times? No. This was the only location. The rest of the work will have two-lane bypass roads as crews build new bridges over each creek.

Before work starts, crews capture fish so they can be relocated prior to construction.
This was among those moved at Eagle Creek.

Each culvert location is different. This includes right-of-way limitations, topography to nearby infrastructure and riparian habitat. There are many items considered when determining if a one-lane or two-lane bypass road will be used around the work zone. Another consideration is a signed detour.

Eagle Creek was a tough location because of a nearby secondary culvert that is not known to have fish. The secondary culvert would have been impacted by construction. The tough decision was made to keep the bypass at one-lane, which meant crews used the accelerated ‘get in, get out’ approach.

Eagle Creek had been confined to this small pipe that ran under US 101. The new culvert (right)
will allow fish passage beyond the highway.

Our contractor worked around-the-clock to remove the old culvert (some call it a pipe) and install a 20-foot-wide x 70-foot-long x 7-foot-high pre-cast concrete box culvert. This helped us build the improvements as quickly as possible. It was hard work, and we know it took a lot of cooperation with the community to get this done.

The remaining culvert locations require construction of new bridges. We’ll keep people moving on two-lane bypass roads for the remainder of this project. Drivers will see reduced speed limits and some nighttime one-way alternating traffic.

The locations of six culverts in the US 101 Jefferson-Clallam Fish Barrier Removal project

The next culvert location we will start work on this fall is location No. 2 on the above map. The remaining culverts will have work starting in 2024.

No surprises approach

Our goal is a heavy lift – no surprises. That meant coordinating with emergency services, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and Clallam County. We got coverage in local and regional media. We created blogs, used every social media platform that our agency uses, and reached out to a lot of community partners. Our ferries division had displays on their video signs at the Port Townsend Ferry Terminal. We also sent thousands of mailers to homes and businesses in the areas near the work zone.

All this doesn’t really matter if you were surprised. Going forward, we hope you’ll consider signing up for our email alerts. It’s for major roadwork in Clallam and Jefferson Counties. Considering how many emails we get each day, please know we send our alerts only when necessary. Others tools include our app, and Travel Center Map. Want to know about other construction projects? We have it broken down by county.

• Clallam
• Jefferson

These travel tools are intended to help you plan ahead and make the best decisions for you and your circumstances.

We'll keep you updated on the specific dates via our email updates and project web page.

Please help keep road workers safe. Anytime you’re approaching a work zone please remember to:

Slow down – drive the posted speeds, they are there for your safety.

Be kind – our workers are out there helping to keep you safe and improve the roadways.

Pay attention – both to workers directing you and surrounding traffic; put your phone down when behind the wheel.

Stay calm – expect delays, leave early or take an alternate route if possible; no meeting or appointment is worth risking someone’s life.

US 101 to close north of Quilcene for 22 days

By Mark Krulish

Summertime is in full swing. You’re probably excited to hit the road for an adventure accompanied by the sun and clear blue skies.

There are plenty of great places to choose from, such as the Olympic Peninsula. You’ve probably already heard a lot about the work we’re doing there. We have a lot of fish barriers to replace, bridges to build and safety improvements to make. Most recently, we announced dates for a project near Sequim that will create long traffic backups for a week during the daytime.

One of the great scenic routes on the Olympic Peninsula is US 101 along the Hood Canal. And if you’re headed that way this summer, here’s your heads up – you’ll need to take a detour north of Quilcene in Jefferson County.

The project

We’re in the midst of a culvert replacement project at Leland Creek and two of its unnamed tributaries. At Leland Creek, just north of Lords Lake Loop Road in Jefferson County, we’re replacing a barrier to fish with a brand new bridge.

As you can see in the “before” photo below, the culvert here is inadequate for fish migration. The road here is currently under one-way alternating traffic controlled by a signal. It will remain that way until approximately Aug. 23.

The culvert at Leland Creek will be replaced with a larger structure to allow for better fish migration.

The project will also replace two more culverts underneath the highway north of the new bridge over Leland Creek. The culverts will be replaced with larger fish-passable structures that will allow for easier fish migration through the waterways that feed into Leland Creek.

US 101 Road closure

To replace the culverts, the highway will be closed around-the-clock to all traffic between Leland Cut Off Road and Lords Lake Loop Road from approximately 9 a.m. Monday, July 31 to approximately 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21. A detour around the closure will be on Center Road.

Travelers will see US 101 is closed, but open to local residents only. Please note this is done for the residents in the area. However, you won't be able to get through. Entire sections of the highway will be excavated. Follow the detour route and trust the signs. They're there for your safety.

To maintain that access for local residents within the closure, the culverts will be replaced one at a time. Work will begin July 31 and continue through Aug. 11 at the northern tributary crossing near Leland Cut-Off Road, which is approximately milepost 290.3. From Aug. 11 through Aug. 21, the culvert at the southern tributary will be replaced at approximately milepost 291.8.

In addition, State Route 104 will have a speed reduction from 60 mph to 35 mph between mileposts  4.08 and 4.62. A temporary traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of SR 104 and Center Road to control traffic.

Freight traffic will need to use this detour during the US 101 Leland Creek closure.

Weight restrictions

Near the southern end of the detour, traffic will have to drive over the Little Quilcene Bridge. That’s no problem for most regular vehicles, but the bridge does have weight restrictions for commercial and freight.

During the US 101 closure, larger vehicles will need to use a detour using SR 3 and SR 104.

Vehicles that do not meet these restrictions will have to take a different detour. Instead of using US 101 along the Hood Canal, you’ll have to take State Route 3 and SR 104 between Shelton and the Hood Canal Bridge to get around the closure.

Freeing the fish

If you’re a regular reader and traveler of our roads, you know we’ve ramped up our efforts in recent years to correct all of these barriers to fish under our state highways. This project replaces three culverts under US 101, which will open up the waterway and improve access to 14 miles of spawning habitat for Chinook, coho, steelhead and bull trout salmon.

These barriers hinder fish from moving upstream or downstream and returning to their spawning grounds. The culvert and pipes underneath our roads don’t work well for fish. Although water may flow through them, it may not be enough to allow fish to swim. Culverts may also have water that flows too fast or too slow. In some cases, the jump into the pipe or culvert may be too high. Fish migration is important to the environment and the Olympic Peninsula economy. We continue to monitor these restored fish passages long after construction is completed to ensure they are working as intended.

Prepare for slowdowns on US 101 between Sequim and Gardiner

By Cara Mitchell

If you’re traveling on US 101 between Gardiner and Sequim in mid-August, we need your help.

From 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 through the evening of Friday, Aug. 18, we are reducing US 101 to a single lane near the Clallam and Jefferson County line in Gardiner. For five days, traffic on US 101 will alternate at Eagle Creek while crews open the road to remove a culvert and replace it with a large box culvert that is fish friendly.

The culvert at Eagle Creek will be removed and replaced with a large box culvert
that will be easier for fish to pass through.

You might think that closing one lane isn’t a big deal, right? Think again. Historically, every time our crews close a lane of US 101 for ongoing maintenance or emergency repairs, the traffic backups are very long. We know this, as do residents and businesses. Please help us spread the word about this upcoming lane closure and proactively prepare for delays by planning.

What to expect

Based on traffic volumes, our traffic engineers expect congestion to start building after 9 a.m. each day on US 101 between Chicken Coop/Diamond Point Road and Guiles/Knapp Road. This is where the work zone is located. Backups approaching the work zone will continue late into each evening.

Some of the heaviest congestion is expected from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. each day

• Monday, Aug. 14
  - 7-mile back up approaching the work zone – 1-hour 15-minute delay
• Tuesday, Aug. 15
  - 3-mile backup approaching the work zone – Up to 50-minute delay
• Wednesday, Aug. 16
  - 6-mile backup approaching the work zone – 50-minute delay
• Thursday, Aug. 17
  - 6-mile backup approaching the work zone – 1-hour 15-minute delay
• Friday, Aug. 18
  - 8-mile backup approaching the work zone – More than 1-hour 45-minute delay

We need help from travelers

The projected backups will happen if people don’t change their plans. Drivers can help improve travel times by:

• Running errands early in the morning or late in the evening
• Give yourself plenty of extra time to reach your destination if you can’t delay travel.
• Consolidating travel, or carpool
• Working from home or remote office locations if possible
• Carrying extra food and water as an added precaution for emergencies or unexpected stops
• Staying calm. Delays are frustrating, but no meeting or event is worth risking injury or death.
• Have a full tank of gas

We don’t have another state highway that can easily detour traffic around the work zone. For this reason, we can’t close US 101 completely during this work. Instead, there will be one lane open. A traffic signal will move traffic through the work zone – please treat it as you would any signal, for everyone’s safely.

If a third-party app is telling you there’s a back route around the work zone, we ask that you consider not taking it. The communities on the Olympic Peninsula need their local county roads available for emergency response. We will have signs up reminding drivers that local roads are for local access only.

Olympic Discovery Trail

The nearby Olympic Discovery Trail and the Jefferson Transit bus stop at Diamond Point Road will remain open throughout construction. From Aug. 13 to Aug. 18, pedestrians and bicyclists may experience heavy congestion on the trail, including people accessing the trail via the Diamond Point Road parking lot. During this time, bicyclists and pedestrians will detour around the work zone on the Olympic Discovery Trail. The map below shows the bicycle detour and the nearby work zone on US 101.

We have many tools to help you stay informed both before you go and while traveling:

• Our mobile app, traffic cameras and email alerts
• Online traveler information for traffic, weather, ferry schedules and a revamped real-time travel map
• Our social media accounts, such as several region- or project-specific Twitter accounts, the agency Facebook page and Instagram and TikTok

Why do this work in August?

There’s truly no good time for major roadwork on state highways. People rely on the highway for everything from moving freight to getting to their doctors’ appointments. We're mindful of the inconveniences.

We’re restricted to a short time when we can do this type of work. These kinds of projects have what we call “in-water work windows,” which is the time of year that we’re allowed to do this type of work due to environmental considerations. This window is usually in July or August.

To minimize disruption, we’re using the ‘get in, get out’ approach. Crews will work around-the-clock to get the work done as quickly as possible. This approach consolidates the work into shorter periods of time rather than months of construction.

During this time, we’re digging up the entire highway. We’ll remove the existing culvert and replace it with a new structure that will carry Eagle Creek under US 101. We then will rebuild the highway. Until that’s finished, we’ll keep travelers moving on a temporary one-lane bypass around the work zone.

Could this work get delayed?

Yes, it could get rescheduled because of weather. It could also get delayed due to unforeseen product availability or staffing issues. We’re working with the contractor to try to avoid these issues as best we can.

If the schedule changes, we will share the latest information once it becomes available via our project web page.

Crews preparing for correcting the Eagle Creek culvert located under US 101

For the fish and us

This project will remove barriers to fish passage by replacing culverts under US 101. A fish passage barrier is anything that hinders fish from moving upstream or downstream. Culverts, large pipes under roads, allow water to flow but may not allow fish to swim through. Culverts may block fish because the water flow is too swift, too shallow, or has a waterfall into or out of the culvert.

Correcting these barriers is an important part of the state’s efforts to restore salmon runs, ultimately benefiting the Olympic Peninsula’s landscape and economy.

Will more work zones see traffic backups like this?

Six culverts will be replaced under US 101 as part of this project. This is the only location, however, that requires days of one-way alternating traffic. The remainder will include crews building two-lane temporary bypass roads around each work zone. Each culvert location has unique characteristics that help determine the type of work zone needed to correct the fish barrier. We work with our contractors to keep traffic moving at each location.

Safety first

Please watch your speed in work zones. Travelers will begin seeing work crews near Eagle Creek starting the week of July 17 as they begin site preparations for replacing the culvert. The regulatory speed limit will be reduced from 55 mph to 25 mph in the work zone from Aug. 13-18. Traffic fines are double in work zones. Always give construction crews the room they need to get this work done. Keeping your eyes on the road and slowing down helps keep you, our crews and other drivers safe. Delays are frustrating, but we are encouraging people to stay calm. No meeting or event is worth risking injury or death. We need travelers help keeping everyone safe on our highways.