WSDOT outlines multi‑year Fish Passage project; major local closures and utility relocations planned through 2028
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Summary
WSDOT and city staff told the Issaquah City Council that the multi‑year Fish Passage project will include four new bridges, a roundabout and stream realignment, with staged lane shifts in 2026 and full local closures (including a 120‑day closure and a Dec.2027–June 2028 closure) timed to support bridge construction and utility relocations.
WSDOT and city staff gave the Issaquah City Council a detailed update Jan. 20 on the Fish Passage project, a multi‑year effort that will rebuild stream crossings, add bridges and create a new roundabout as part of a federal injunction‑driven program to restore fish passage by 2030.
City staff and WSDOT representatives said the work includes four new bridges, a new roundabout, stream realignment at Lewis Creek and combined flows at West Village Park and Schneider Creek, and relocation of utilities including a city water line and several franchise utilities. The city has completed a Newport sewer relocation that used a 54‑inch casing to carry the new 12‑inch sewer main and expected roadway restoration through mid‑February.
Presenters described construction sequencing and traffic management: I‑90 mainline work will be accomplished with lane shifts (short overnight freeway closures expected for striping tie‑ins), while local road work will require intermittent lane shifts and some full local closures. Northwest Sammamish Road will have utility impacts beginning mid‑February and is projected to include one six‑week full closure in March–April 2026 and an additional full closure between July and November 2026 for bridge construction. A larger closure on Westlake Sammamish Parkway near the Lewis Creek crossing is projected Dec. 27, 2027–June 2028.
Council members asked about ownership and maintenance of tie‑in segments, impacts to private access during construction, potential franchise‑utility responsibilities and the physical height of new bridges (presenters noted one Westlake Sammamish Parkway bridge will be raised roughly six feet to provide light beneath the structure).
Staff stressed coordination across city projects, WSDOT, Atkinson (design‑builder) and franchise utilities to avoid simultaneous closures of Newport Way and Northwest Sammamish Road, and committed to more detailed franchise‑utility impact reporting in 2027. The city plans an outreach open house Feb. 5 at Sunset Elementary with WSDOT and Atkinson; residents were urged to sign up for city and WSDOT alerts.
