Drivers traveling north on US 101 outside of Grays Harbor and into Jefferson County may need to find an alternate route this week

The Washington State Department of Transportation is warning any travelers that US 101 near Queets in Jefferson County will be closed overnight on Thursday, Jan. 23.

All three culverts along this 15-mile stretch of highway in Jefferson County have been identified as barriers to fish and in need of correction. In this project, crews will remove undersized culverts that carry Steamboat Creek, Harlow Creek and Fisher Creek under US 101, and replace them with pre-stressed, concrete girder bridges to improve stream flows for migratory fish.

Quigg Bros crews will close the roadway at milepost 147.5,  just north of the Grays Harbor County line as 101 moves into Jefferson County, from 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 to 4 a.m. on Friday to make repairs to a temporary bridge deck that carries traffic over Fisher Creek.

The new culverts are expected to open nearly nine miles of potential fish habitat. This fish passage project will help restore the streambeds to a more natural state and improve fish passage for local migratory fish.

  • Steamboat Creek will be replaced with a 208-foot pre-stressed girder bridge.
  • Harlow Creek will be replaced with a 133-foot pre-stressed girder bridge.
  • Fisher Creek will be replaced with a 70-foot pre-stressed girder bridge.

 This work is part of the ongoing fish barrier removal project conducted by WSDOT across the state as crews remove undersized culverts.

This nighttime closure and work could be rescheduled due to inclement weather.