The in basket: Cynthia Collier writes, “I drive State Route 106 every day to/from Union for work. Can you tell me what the road construction project is that’s taking place near the Twanoh Falls private beach area?
“Looks pretty extensive,” she said, “has the speed limit reduced to 25 mph, and has the road reduced to one lane, stopping traffic just about every morning. We’re all wondering what’s going on and how long it’s anticipated to last.”
The out basket: It’s another in the series of culvert replacements the state (and the counties) are doing to remove fish passage obstacles. It will continue through October and is, indeed, expensive, costing $6.3 million dollars.
According to the project Web site, http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR106/TwanohFallsImprovements/,
“As part of an agreement with Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife, WSDOT is moving away from the repetitive repair of
roadways that require recent, frequent and chronic maintenance
repairs. Instead, WSDOT concentrates on long-term solutions
that will optimize the improvements for fish and fish habitat,
while also addressing transportation needs.
“The highway crossing has had a long standing problem of sediment
accumulation,” it said, “requiring frequent excavation by
maintenance crews to maintain creek flow and prevent flooding of
the highway and adjacent properties. The sedimentation also poses
fish passage problems.
“The culvert currently in place under SR 106 is too
small. Replacing it with a larger one will improve creek flow,
allow for fish passage and reduce sediment buildup. This will save
money on frequent maintenance costs.
“Since 1991, WSDOT has completed 269 fish barrier removal
projects opening up over 904 miles of potential upstream habitat
for fish,” the Web site said.
