The construction on State Route 16 and State Route 302 will continue into the first part of the 2023-2024 school year, which will affect staff, students, and families’ ability to park on Purdy Lane NW near Peninsula High School. Construction may affect incoming and outgoing traffic to Purdy Elementary as well. 

Last spring, WSDOT crews paved Purdy Lane Northwest for future use as a detour road while State Route 302/Purdy Drive is closed to remove an old culvert and replaced with a large bridge. A temporary traffic signal was installed at 144th and Purdy Lane NW, Purdy Drive will be closed to all traffic. 

According to WSDOT, the removal of the culvert is estimated to be finished in December.

Staff and students should expect: 

• No parking along Purdy Lane NW; 
• Signed detour routes; 
• Temporary traffic signals; 
• Reduced speed limits; and
• Contractor and construction trucks hauling project materials.

Why is WSDOT doing this work? 

Purdy Creek is home to juvenile and adult salmon populations, and the existing culvert under SR 302 is challenging for the fish to navigate. To remedy this, WSDOT crews will remove and replace the old culvert with a 77-foot-long bridge. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that this work will open 6.5 miles of habitat for the fish. 

WSDOT has removed fished barriers under state highways since 1991. A 2013 federal court injunction also requires WSDOT to correct culverts that are barriers to salmon and steelhead within the case area in western Washington. Purdy Creek is among those included in the federal injunction. 

For more information visit - https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/sr-16-and-sr-302-spur-purdy-creek-remove-fish-barriers-and-paving

More information and an official end date will be shared once WSDOT makes an announcement.