SFR Significant North Sound I-5 traffic disruption coming Spring '25-27 for fish passage construction

Sorta fishing-related
Josh

Josh

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WSDOT is warning about some large traffic disruptions on I-5 in South Whatcom county as fish passage is improved for tributaries to Friday, Lake & Chuckanut Creeks. Construction is planned to start spring 2025 and go through 2027. Fish passage is great, traffic is not. Welcome to adult life, many things can be true.

Background​

These fish passage improvements are a result of the 2001 lawsuit that WA tribes filed against the state that went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2018. The issue decided by the federal courts was whether, under the 1855–1856 Stevens Treaties, "the right to fish is the right to put a net in the water or the right for there to be fish to catch". The tribes maintained that part of the treaties signed with the state required the state to protect fish populations and the culverts/barriers on state roadways harm those populations. According to the state, the modifications would not meaningfully improve salmon populations, because barriers built by federal and private actors also obstruct fish passage. While the point is worth considering, some viewed this as rather deceptive, given that the state had known about the harm culverts caused since at least 1949 when it discussed the issue in a pamphlet titled "The Salmon Crisis" (and yet kept building fish blocking roads and culverts for decades). In the end, the Supreme Court upheld the 9th Circuit's ruling to uphold the original court decision. The State had to improve fish passage and indeed, WSDOT has been working on doing so in the six years since the decision.

More background:

Today...​

That brings us to 2024 where WSDOT has some of these projects ready to start construction in Whatcom county south of Bellingham:
  • I-5 at Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek (milepost 241)
  • Lake Samish Road at UNT to Friday Creek (Exit 240)
  • I-5 at Lake Creek (Milepost 245.8)
  • I-5 at Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek (milepost 246.2)
  • I-5 at Chuckanut Creek (milepost 246.8)
  • Old Samish Road at Chuckanut Creek
I-5 traffic will be significantly affected by the construction. For example, work on the Unnamed Tributary crossing at Friday Creek is expected to begin in the spring of 2025. To install the new structures, traffic on I-5 will temporarily be reduced to one lane in each direction over a month or so. The southbound lanes of I-5 will close for 15 days, during which both directions of traffic will use the northbound lanes, with one lane available for each direction. Following this closure, the northbound lanes of I-5 will close for 12 days, and during this time, traffic will use the southbound lanes, also with one lane available for each direction.

Many (most?) of the other projects to follow have similar disruptions. Definitely worth reading the WSDOT info page if you live in the area or travel through regularly:

I-5/Tributaries to Friday, Lake & Chuckanut Creeks - Fish Passage | WSDOT

This project removes and replaces several outdated culverts under I-5 roads for the Unnamed Tributaries to Friday Creek, Lake Creek, Unnamed Tributary to Lake Creek and Chuckanut Creeks in Whatcom and Skagit counties. WSDOT will replace outdated culverts with new fish-passable structures (also...
wsdot.wa.gov wsdot.wa.gov
 
Glad to see the improvements for fish habitat.

OT: During these same years I-5 will be going under extensive maintenance from Yesler to Northgate. 4 lanes down to 2 for a year in one direction. Then the same in other direction for next year.
 
RCF said:
Glad to see the improvements for fish habitat.

OT: During these same years I-5 will be going under extensive maintenance from Yesler to Northgate. 4 lanes down to 2 for a year in one direction. Then the same in other direction for next year.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a most excellent opportunity to jack up the tolls on I405 and especially the 99 Tunnel. 😔
 
Bumping this up again as I suspect it's probably starting soon? Also, things might get worse as another N/S option through Whatcom county is currently closed for an extended period due to rock slides.

 
Whoa…quite the slide.

Regarding I5…Did a ‘quick’ round trip B’ham to Tacoma and back today. The return trip took an extra 90 minutes due to construction, crashes, and Skagit Co. Tulip traffic.

The only culvert construction I saw was at the Pilchuk (whoops). Traffic was backed up both N and S bound….and it didn’t even look like work was being done!

Ought to be really crazy during the work week
 
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M_D said:
Whoa…quite the slide.

Regarding I5…Did a ‘quick’ round trip B’ham to Tacoma and back today. The return trip took an extra 90 minutes due to construction, crashes, and Skagit Co. Tulip traffic.

The only culvert construction I saw was at the Pilchuk. Traffic was backed up both N and S bound….and it didn’t even look like work was being done!

Ought to be really crazy during the work week
Click to expand...

Most of the work is currently being done on the west side of the southbound lanes of I-5 on the Secret creek culvert replacement project.
SF
 
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South bound was easy peasy at 10am but had a long back up by 3

North bound was backed up at 10 and really backed up by 3. NB gets funneled down to 2 lanes and was slowed/ backed up from Marysville/Smokey Point area.

That said, the culvert replacement done at the south end of Bellyburg a couple years ago is pretty cool 👍
 
I called up the Main WADOT CALL CENTER LINE and I told them they're gonna have to get USED to me just plowing thru if they try to BARRICADE me in!!! When they tried to speak to me i INTERRUPTED them and told them that per the rules laid forth in My Main Amendment (VERIFIED BY TOP LEGAL EXPERTS !!) I don't have to adher to the policy
 
Good to see the REAL JimTravers is back.

I was thinkin' he'd been hacked by some BAD HOMBRES cuz his other post about the ruminating bears HAD NO CAPS! And we all know that JIMMY T USES CAPS!...especially when it comes to RUMINATING BEARS...so it had to be the BHH Boys (Bad Hombres Hacker Boys) trying to get in JIMMY T's BACK DOOR.

Stay strong JIMMY....don't let nobody backdoor ya(y)
 
Just an FYI about some May closures on 529.
SF

www.kiro7.com

Four full closures for SR 529 coming in May

Heads up, Marysville and Everett. State Route 529 (SR 529) is not going to be a reliable way to make that connection in May.
www.kiro7.com www.kiro7.com
 
IMG_8487.jpeg

Not sure if this is part of the fish passage work, but NB 5 funnels to one lane at the city limits and was pretty much a bumper to bumper crawl from Iowa St to about a mile west of the N Lk Samish exit

Disregard…..all clear as of 2pm
 
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