Drivers in Lake Forest Park should brace for disruptions as a major environmental restoration effort kicks off on June 30. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced the commencement of the Lyon Creek fish barrier removal project near the intersection of State Route 104/Ballinger Way Northeast and 35th Avenue Northeast, aiming to facilitate freer fish passage and improve local ecosystems.
According to an article on the WSDOT website, the existing culvert under the roadway is set to be replaced with a 24-foot-wide concrete structure. This replacement will potentially open up 7.5 miles of upstream habitat to various fish species, including Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, sockeye, sea-run cutthroat, and resident trout.
Construction activities are slated to occur seven days a week, primarily during night hours between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., in an effort to mitigate traffic impacts. Nevertheless, several road closures are to be expected during different phases of the project. These include overnight, single-lane closures, a five-day shutdown of Northeast 185th Street, at least one overnight stint along 35th Avenue Northeast, and a 35-day blockage on SR 104/Ballinger Way, tentatively set for early September.
Local residents and commuters will see signed detour routes navigating them around the closed areas. Local access will be maintained, although passage through work zones will not be possible. King County Metro plans to relocate bus stops situated on SR 104/Ballinger Way as the construction presses on. Johansen Construction Co., the prime contractor on the $8.71 million project, aims to wrap up by fall, weather permitting, furthering WSDOT's compliance with a court ruling mandating the removal of fish passage barriers beneath state highways.
