Culvert construction closes Chuckanut Drive

SR 11/Chuckanut Drive north of Old Samish Road is closed through Aug. 17 for replacing a 24-inch concrete culvert with a 12-foot round culvert. This “will allow fish and other aquatic species to use nearly a mile of habitat upstream for the first time in nearly a century,” states a Washington Department of Transportation website page.

Hoag’s Creek runs under SR 11 just south of Fairhaven. Fish passage is blocked by the small culvert above the creek’s surface. “Removing a single barrier can improve fish access for miles both upstream and downstream. When rivers and streams are connected, fish c...