SR 302 Little Minter Creek Project Will Cause Closures Next Week

GIG HARBOR, WA — Next week the Washington State Department of Transportation will finish up a multi-year project at Little Minter Creek. It's good news for the environment, but unfortunately for commuters it's likely to cause some extended closures.

The project, which began in 2019, was designed to support the creek's native fish by allowing them to more easily pass under State Route 302. Already the project has had crews remove outdated fish barriers and repave eight miles of the surrounding roads. This final step will have crews replacing two culverts that run under the highway.

Construction is set to begin Monday. WSDOT has not yet said exactly what will be closed or when, but organizers say to expect weekday, daytime lane and shoulder closures as crews move in and out of the area. More information on the specific closure times will be released as the project draws nearer.

“With bridge construction mostly complete at Minter Creek, our crews can now focus their efforts on removing and replacing the two small culverts at Little Minter Creek,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Lone Moody.

The construction is expected to last up to eight days. Originally, the work had also included deck repairs to the nearby SR 302 Purdy Split Bridge. Instead, that's been added to a separate bridge rehabilitation project, set to begin in early spring 2022.