Fish passage work begins March 9 along SR 109 near Taholah

TAHOLAH – A project to improve fish migration at five locations under State Route 109 is set to begin south of Taholah on Monday, March 9.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will start by removing trees to create each work zone. The five work zones will be between Moclips and Taholah from milepost 33 to 38. Crews will limit tree removal to only what is necessary for the project. This work takes place exclusively on highway within the Quinault Indian Nation and WSDOT is coordinating closely with tribal leaders on the project.

What to expect

During this work, daytime travelers will see intermittent one-way alternating traffic directed by flaggers.

Tree removal is expected to be completed by the end of March. Once tree removal is complete, crews will begin building one-lane temporary bypass roads at each site. Throughout spring and summer, crews will shift traffic onto the bypass roads. Travelers will use the bypasses to get around the work zones during construction. Temporary signals will alternate traffic through fall. The speed limit will also be temporarily reduced to 25 mph through each work zone.

At some sites, the highway will occasionally close for up to 45 minutes at a time. The closures allow crews to deliver large concrete materials for bridge construction. As schedules are finalized, WSDOT will provide advance notification of changes to the roadway. People can sign up to get email updates for highway projects in Grays Harbor County. Real-time travel information is available on the statewide travel map and WSDOT app.

Crews expect to complete work at two sites in fall 2026. All sites will return to one lane open in each direction at that time with work stopping for winter. Crews will come back to the other three sites to complete construction from spring through fall 2027.

Project details

This group of sites is the final portion of a project to remove barriers to fish under the highway at 29 locations along the coast. Once complete, the overall project restores nearly 37 miles of potential habitat.

Large culverts or bridges will replace smaller, outdated culverts under the highway. The new culverts and bridges are designed to allow fish to swim under the highway at all stages of life.

About fish passage

State highways cross rivers and streams in thousands of locations throughout Washington. Some crossings can impede fish migration. Since 1991, WSDOT has worked to improve fish passage and foster healthy waterways by removing barriers under the highway. In addition to WSDOT’s ongoing work to correct statewide barriers, a 2013 federal court injunction requires the state to correct barrier culverts to salmon and steelhead within the injunction area in western Washington.