Depending on your driving route in and around Sequim, you’re bound to run into construction in the coming months.

Pavement rehabilitation began this week at various spots in the City of Sequim, another project is tabbed to begin next week while three other sizable projects continue on after starting in recent weeks.

The Matriotti Creek culvert replacement on U.S. Highway 101 in Carlsborg started last week while the McDonald Creek Bridge hits its first milestone in knocking down the bridge and the effort to realign Chicken Coop Road in Blyn remains ongoing. Construction to move the entrance to Carrie Blake Park is expected to begin on Monday, Aug. 14, too.

Carrie Blake Park entrance

City of Sequim staff said crews with Northern Land Development, LLC. will begin work to remove the Sequim BMX track on Monday to make way for a new access road and pickleball courts south of the existing entrance on North Blake Avenue to Carrie Blake Park.

Construction crews are operating on a contract worth up to $504,000 with a 5-percent contingency to move the entrance south on Blake Avenue between the Sequim Skate Park and Trinity United Methodist Church.

They’ll work 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday tentatively through mid-November while all park operations remain open except the BMX course.

An earthen pad for eight pickleball courts will be constructed where the BMX course is now and construction under a separate contract will complete the courts tentatively in spring 2018.

Crews in the coming months also will extend a water line through the park as part of the contract.

Realigning the entrance has been discussed for years as a project to increase safety around the playground and other amenities, said City Engineer Matt Klontz.

The existing entrance will remain open until the new one is complete, Klontz said, and the old entrance will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists.

The project is being funded with park impact fees, real estate excise tax and utility funds, however Klontz previously said in July it’s estimated to be about $50,000 over budget due to low estimates for the project in 2016. To make up for the shortfall, Klontz said they’ve eliminated some expenses including switching the grass seed process, using topsoil on site and installing fewer bollards.

Pavement rehab

This week, crews with Northern Asphalt, LLC started several projects around Sequim to reconstruct pavement, place new pavement overlay and repair subgrade on multiple city streets.

Locals can expect delays, localized closures and/or detours from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. for four-six weeks on the following roads:

• West Prairie Street between Sequim and Fifth avenues through Aug. 22

• Miller Road and South Sequim Avenue through Aug. 28

• East Silberhorn Road and South Seventh Avenue through Aug. 15

• East Spruce Street and East Cedar Street intersections from North Knapman Avenue and North Brown Road through Aug. 10

• West Hemlock between South Fourth and South Fifth avenues, Aug. 14-18

• West Alder Street and North Third Avenue intersection, Aug. 21-25

• Old Olympic Highway (complete)

All scheduling is dependent on the weather and the contractor’s progress, Klontz said.

City staff said crews will make efforts to provide local access as much as possible and residents are encouraged to use alleys if possible.

In total, the projects cost nearly $609,000 with a 10-percent contingency through the Transportation Benefit District and utility funds.

Klontz said he opened bids Aug. 8 for crack sealing several of the heavily traveled roadways in the city and if pricing is favorable, they’ll consider proposing repairs on portions of Washington Street, North Fifth Avenue, Sequim Avenue, Priest Road, River Road, Hendrickson Road, Third Avenue and West Sequim Bay Road.

Creek construction

Work also began last week under U.S. Highway 101 to replace a 5-foot wide steel culvert with a 10-foot by 19-foot box culvert to open upwards of 5 miles of fish habitat.

The $2.728 million project will run tentatively through late September and drivers will see reduced speeds to 40 mph for about half-a-mile around the clock through the roadwork just west of Carlsborg and Hooker roads.

A Washington State Department of Transportation official said all traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with one lane for each direction and once the northbound culvert is replaced, traffic will alternate to the westbound lane.

Matriotti Creek hosts one of 996 culverts that have or need to be replaced following a 2013 U.S. District Court order to preserve fish runs by repairing or replacing culverts that act as a barrier to salmon migration.

For more information on Matriotti Creek, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US101/MatriottiCrkRmvFishBarrier.

Chicken Coop coordination

The estimated $2.8 million U.S. 101–Chicken Coop-Zaccardo Road Realignment Safety Project in Blyn continues toward an October finish, report Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe officials.

Through funding by the tribe, the Federal Highways Administration and Clallam County, crews are realigning Zaccardo Road at Highway 101 with a realigned Chicken Coop Road intersection.

The project has been in the planing for 10 years, tribal officials said, and it includes a westbound left turn lane to Chicken Coop Road, a westbound acceleration lane for left turns from the road and an eastbound right turn pocket into the road.

Tribal officials said Chicken Coop Road will be experience daytime closures at times with detours.

Environmental mitigation includes a realignment and restoration of No Name Creek and wetland, and stream buffer plantings. The creek also will carry under the new Zaccardo Road through a larger concrete box culvert.

Bridge down

Crews with Orion Marine Contractors Inc. of Tacoma knocked down the McDonald Creek Bridge on July 31 and began removing debris while a portion of Old Olympic Highway remains closed on both sides of the project.

Visitors to Agnew businesses experienced the closure firsthand starting July 5 when construction began on the $3.07 million project. During Sequim Lavender Weekend July 21-23, lavender farmers reported that sales and visitors weren’t as high as expected, which they attributed to construction.

Clallam County staff slated the project to tentatively run through early April 2018 but the project may finish one or two months early due to conservative time frame planning.

Detours remain in place for travelers to take Kitchen-Dick Road, or Barr or Shore roads depending on what direction you are coming or going to go around the bridge.

The new bridge will be seismically stable and 40 feet wide instead of 24 feet. For more information on the McDonald Creek Bridge closure, visit www.clallam.net/roads/ McDonaldCreek.html.

Mason “Epic Exit” McCann, 8, of Sequim rides down the BMX track at Carrie Blake Park as his friend Noah Casillas, 11, awaits his turn on Aug. 7. Staff with the City of Sequim will close the Sequim BMX Track for construction crews to remove it and build a new access road and slab for pickleball courts.

Crewmen under contract with the Department of Transportation stand atop a culvert for Matriotti Creek on Aug. 8 that will be replaced with a larger one to increase fish passage and habitat. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Soon, this 5-foot wide steel culvert in Matriotti Creek will be replaced with a 10-foot by 19-foot box culvert to open upwards of 5 miles of fish habitat. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Soon a 5-foot wide steel culvert in Matriotti Creek will be replaced with a 10-foot by 19-foot box culvert to open upwards of 5 miles of fish habitat. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash