Work starts at five locations along US 101 west of Lake Crescent

Temporary roads keep people moving around multiple work zones this summer

FORKS - Orange work zone signs will later give way to temporary red and green traffic signals. It's a large part of the efforts to help keep people moving this summer through several US 101 work zones between Lake Crescent and Ruby Beach.

Contractor crews have begun preliminary work at four locations along US 101 in Jefferson County. Crews will also soon start work at a fifth site on the highway east of State Route 113 near Wisen Creek Road in Clallam County. The project will remove a total of five barriers to fish passage under US 101 between mileposts 169 and 210.

Culverts at each location will be replaced with structures that allow fish at all stages of life to access spawning and rearing habitat. Once complete, this project will open about 5.7 miles of potential habitat for salmon and other species.

What to expect

Travelers will see daytime one-way alternating traffic on US 101 as crews build a temporary single-lane road at each location. The single-lane roads will keep people moving around the work zones. Once the temporary road is in place, a temporary traffic signal at each end will alternate traffic one direction at a time. The speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph at each location.

The temporary roads will remain in place through September. Crews expect to complete work at the four sites in Jefferson County by the end of 2024. The fifth location at milepost 209 in Clallam County will return to two lanes this fall. Crews will return to this area in 2025 to work through summer and complete this project. These sites are all part of a larger effort to correct 29 barriers to fish in Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Clallam counties that will last through 2026.

Multiple work zones with signals

Travelers are already seeing temporary signals with one-way alternating traffic at a sixth location (PNG 1.5MB) on US 101 at the Jefferson-Clallam county line. Crews are preparing to install a temporary bridge over May Creek in the next several weeks. This project is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2026.

Travel tools

While travelers will see a lot of construction around the Olympic Peninsula this summer, WSDOT has tools to help everyone get where they are going. Travelers can sign up for email updates for projects in Jefferson and Clallam counties. Real-time travel information is available on the WSDOT app and statewide travel map.

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