Skagit County favors road relocation and multi-span bridge in Mill Creek feasibility study

Skagit County public-works and natural-resources staff on Monday presented a feasibility and design update for the Mill Creek area on South Skagit Highway and identified a preferred alternative that would relocate a section of roadway and replace culverts and bridges to restore natural water and sediment movement.

Acting County Engineer Tom Weller introduced the presentation and Emily Doreen of the county's Natural Resources Division led the briefing and described a preferred alignment (referred to in consultant work as Alternative 3) that moves the road to a terrace location on the floodplain and uses a steel multi-span bridge to reestablish stream processes. Doreen said the existing alignment interrupts Mill Creek and Savage Creek, causes repeated flooding and maintenance, and disconnects wetland and floodplain habitat important to threatened Chinook salmon.

"Mill Creek is a problem. It does flood," Doreen said, noting the creek flooded that weekend and that the…