Road work on Highway 12 near Montesano will kick into high gear starting July 9, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Contractor crews will begin to remove and replace a culvert west of town as part of the final phase of a 7-mile paving project that has been under way since May.

Beginning Monday, July 9, and lasting through the fall, Highway 12 will be reduced to a single lane in each direction west of the Devonshire Road overpass. The speed limit will be reduced from 60 mph to 25 mph through the construction zone.

The temporary traffic configuration allows crews room to excavate and replace the culvert. The new structure will be a 220-foot long concrete box that will open up two miles of potential fish habitat.

“This is a big effort to correct an existing fish barrier under the highway,” said project engineer John Romero. “We are extremely grateful for the public’s patience and attentiveness while traveling in a safe manner through the work zone.”

The culvert work is part of the state’s fish passage barrier correction program that identifies, removes and replaces barriers to fish. Advanced notification of construction-related closures is posted on the Olympic Region weekly construction and traffic updates web page, wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/Olympic/Construction/.