Date:  Monday, May 02, 2011

Contact: Colin Newell, WSDOT project engineer, 1-866-713-2412 toll-free (Chehalis)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT communications, 360-905-2058 (Vancouver)

RAYMOND – Drivers on State Route 105 will encounter a detour this spring and summer as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) builds a new bridge to improve driver safety and fish passage at Norris Slough.

Starting May 3, traffic will be shifted onto a temporary, one-lane bridge just south of the existing highway. The speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph and an automated traffic signal will alternate traffic until the new bridge opens this fall. Drivers can expect up to 20-minute delays.

The traffic shift is weather-dependent and may be delayed if rain prevents crews from painting new lane stripes on SR 105 today and Tuesday.

Currently, a small, narrow culvert connecting Norris Slough to Willapa Bay blocks fish from swimming upstream. Ocean tides also constantly erode soil under the culvert and the embankment supporting SR 105, threatening the stability of the highway.

Pictures of the Norris Slough culvert and temporary bridge: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157626631372628/.  

The new 87-foot-long, 34-foot-wide concrete bridge will enhance driver safety on SR 105 west of Raymond and improve fish passage to and from Willapa Bay.

The $2.3 million project is funded through federal and state highway improvement funds.

Stay informed on construction-related traffic impacts by visiting WSDOT’s travel alerts and construction update web pages.

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.

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