Recently by Peninsula High School there has been lots of road work, slowing down the roads. One of the roads in front of our school is blocked right now, making it hard to get around like we did before. But what is it there doing are they fixing the road or removing it? Well, I am here to fill you in on what is happening.

On Sunday, April 2, at 5 a.m. the contractor crews closed State Route 302 Spur (known as Purdy Drive). They are forcing all travelers on the road to detour with Purdy Lane Northwest and 144th Street Northwest for eight months while crews build a bridge to replace a culvert that is a fish barrier. They are closing off the road so they can try to make a place where fish can swim under that road to get to the other rivers so they can lay their eggs. They did the same thing to help the fish at State Route 302, right by the espresso shop Ravensara.

The construction is said to last to December, but it can go into 2024. As of right now, the cost of this whole project is said to reach up to 41.6 million dollars. 

How do you feel about us helping the fish? This is the second road they have worked on. They have already worked on and finished another one. I wonder if they’re going to rebuild anywhere else. If they do, where else are they going to build? There’s no way to know if this project will really take eight months or even longer, but let’s hope it reaches its goals as efficiently as possible, allowing the fish to cross to the other rivers and freeing the road from traffic. 

Washington State Department of Transportation. (2023, April 7). SR 16 and SR 302 (spur) purdy creek – remove fish barriers and paving. WSDOT. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/sr-16-and-sr-302-spur-purdy-creek-remove-fish-barriers-and-paving  

PHOTO BY: AVA MEIKLE