Culvert removal means 8-month road closure, 6.5 miles of new Pierce County fish habitat

Aspen Shumpert
·2 min read

A project to remove a Purdy Creek fish barrier resumes in April.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will remove an old culvert barrier in Purdy Creek under state Route 302 (Purdy Drive) that is challenging for fish to swim through.

WSDOT crews will replace the old culvert with a new 77-foot-long bridge structure, according to WSDOT officials.

The project is expected to take 8 months.

“Wildlife biologists estimate this work will create approximately 6.5 miles of new habitat for fish,” WSDOT officials said in a news release.

“Purdy Creek is home to native fish species including juvenile Chinook, coho, and chum salmon,” the news release said. “Adult and juvenile steelhead, coastal cutthroat and sculpin are also found in the creek and nearby Burley Lagoon.”

The project was placed on hold due to “a delay in obtaining materials,” Angela Cochran, communications consultant for the Washington State Department of Transportation, told the Gateway.

All travelers will need to detour starting April 2 via Purdy Lane Northwest and 144th Street Northwest, she said. That part of Purdy Drive will be closed.

Purdy Creek detour map
Purdy Creek detour map

Students at Peninsula High School use the shoulder on Purdy Lane as a parking overflow option.

S.A.V.E Thrift Store on Purdy Lane has six parking spots out front. Customers visiting the store also use the shoulder along Purdy Lane as a parking overflow option.

During the work drivers will not be allowed to park on Purdy Lane.

Work is expected to be done by the end of this year. Once work is completed, parking restrictions will be removed, Cochran said.

Two other culvert barriers in Purdy Creek are currently being removed under state Route 16. This work began in fall 2021.

These two culverts are between mile post 17 and 18, where the creek meets state Route 16.

“They are both 40-year-old barriers with large bridge structures that are 206 feet long,” the news release said.

State Route 16 culvert removals should be complete in the fall of 2024, Cochran said.