Lane changes near Schouweiler Road will be in place for a year for fish habitat project
Travelers who use US 12 between Montesano and Elma will soon see shifted lanes through the Wenzel Slough work zone area.
Weather permitting, on Friday, Aug. 25, construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will reduce US 12 from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction near Schouweiler Road.
Travelers using eastbound US 12 will follow a single lane that crosses the median onto the westbound side of the highway. Westbound US 12 will be reduced to one lane at the same location.
This temporary lane configuration will remain in place for up to a year.
The speed limit on US 12 is also reduced from 60 mph to 50 mph from milepost 16.83 to milepost 20.09.
What is happening
Crews are removing a culvert under US 12 and replacing it with a bridge. The current culvert is a barrier to fish in a stream that flows into Wenzel Slough.
Once traffic is shifted, crews will install the shafts that will support the new bridge structure.
Crews are also preparing for a similar traffic shift in the next few weeks closer to Elma at the work zone for Vance Creek.
The Washington State Department of Transportation will provide the date of that traffic shift in advance on the WSDOT app and real-time map.
This work is part of WSDOT’s program to improve fish habitat under state highways.
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