This Week In Transportation:
September 9, 2002
Salmon eager to ‘test-swim’ new stream
created by King County Roads
 Users
of the Sammamish River Trail (above) have a great view of the site where King
County is constructing a new stream connection to the Sammamish River near 60
Acres soccer fields north of Redmond. The project is being done in preparation
for a major road improvement next spring, but it also means salmon may return
to this tributary for the first time in 40 years. The first Chinook of the
season (right) was spotted near the project location on Aug. 19, below the
existing impassable culvert and just downstream from the new stream channel. A
new "Salmon Cam" will soon allow you to see the returning fish for yourself.
What’s good for motorists is turning out to be good for fish too, as King County
Roads Services lays the groundwork for an important road widening and safety
project.
Next spring, the county will begin an eight-month project to widen Northeast
124th Street between Willows Road and the Redmond-Woodinville Road (State Route
202). To allow the road to be widened, a stream that now flows in the
ditch on the south side of NE 124th is being relocated about 150 feet south to
a new, 2,250-foot channel that connects directly to the Sammamish River.
Before this project was begun, water from the ditch fed into a culvert that
emptied into the Sammamish River. But, there was a three to four-foot drop
between the lip of the culvert and the river that prevented fish passage into
the cooler water of the stream. This stream has not been accessible to salmon since the late 1960s
when the Corps of Engineers straightened the Sammamish River to
reduce flooding in the Sammamish Valley.
By connecting the stream directly to the river through the new channel, King
County is opening up more than one mile of stream habitat to salmon and other
fish. The new stream channel has been designed with fish in mind. There are
gravel beds for spawning, deeper pools for resting, and the stream banks will
be planted with willows and other shrubs and trees to provide shade and
habitat for amphibians, birds and other animals.
King County crews are now rushing to put the finishing touches on the last
100 feet of the new stream channel to accommodate the fall fish runs. It takes the expertise of several different units in Road Services, including:
Environmental; Design; and Maintenance.
The stream will be diverted into the new channel toward the end of
September, and Chinook salmon have already been spotted near the site. Within a
few weeks, the public will also be able to watch the first salmon run
upstream in more than 40 years thanks to a special "Salmon Cam" now being
installed on site.
Calling all poets!
• What have you lost? What have you found? Metro is looking for poems
that relate to the theme "Lost and Found" for its annual "Poetry on the Bus"
contest. Every year, poems from local residents are selected by a panel of
professional writers. Selected poems are published on bus placards that are
displayed on the interior of all King County Metro buses for up to one year.
Spin a poetic tale of losing or finding your way, or losing or finding a
person, place or thing. Tell of unexpected turns and where they took you. Take
bus riders into your own lost and found. The deadline is Sept. 30. See more
details on Metro
Online.
National "Stop on Red" Week
• More than 1,000 Americans lose their lives each year in crashes from
running red lights. To raise awareness about the danger red light running poses
to motorists and pedestrians, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal
Highway Administration, the American Trauma Society, and the Institute of
Transportation Engineers are sponsoring the fifth annual
National "Stop on Red" Week, Sept. 7-13. It's said to be the third leading
cause of highway death, behind drunk driving and not using a seat belt. See the Stop Red Light
Running Program Web site for more information.
Subscribe to new "King County
DOT Dash" e-mail list
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Night-time closure of I-405
• As a reminder, the Washington State Department of Transportation will
completely close Interstate 405 each night on Monday through Thursday,
September 9 to September 12, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. at NE 8th Street in
Bellevue. Traffic will be detoured around the closure by using the NE 8th
Street exits and on-ramps. Motorists should expect heavy congestion and avoid
the area by taking alternate routes if possible.
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