Project overview
In July 2024, WSDOT began replacing two culverts near the intersection of State Route 202 and Northeast 124th Street between Redmond and Woodinville with a single culvert. Two creeks in the area — an unnamed tributary of the Sammamish Creek and High School Creek — were realigned to merge with the new, larger culvert just north of the intersection. This work was part of our commitment to remove fish barriers on streams that run under state highways.
What to expect
Most of the work was done during a five-day closure of SR 202 north of Northeast 124th Street that wrapped up in September 2024. No more traffic control is expected.
A new concrete box culvert was installed beneath SR 202 during a five-day closure of the highway near Redmond.
This work is part of our fish passage program. Replacing the existing culverts will remove barriers to fish migration and expand healthy fish habitat. The unnamed tributary is 67 percent blocked to fish, while High School Creek is considered to be completely blocked.
The two streams were realigned to merge and flow through a large culvert. Crews then rebuilt stream beds and improve creek channels. Replacing the culverts with a larger alternative improved access to 3.5 miles of new habitat for the various trout and salmon species that use these creeks.
Rebuilding this habitat restored fish runs and increase fish populations. This benefits commercial seafood operations, recreational fishers, and provides more food for our declining orca population. In addition, replacing these fish barriers helped us meet our obligation to remove barriers under the 2013 U.S. District Court injunction.
