MONTESANO – The Washington State Department of Transportation have started work removing barriers to spawning fish near Montesano.

Beginning this week, drivers may encounter day and night single-lane and shoulder closures in either direction of US 12 and should expect minor delays. The single-lane closures will allow crews to begin work to ultimately remove and replace a culvert that runs under the highway west of Devonshire Road.

Then, beginning Monday, July 23, crews will start an around-the-clock summer-long traffic shift. US 12 will reduce from four lanes to two. The speed limit will also lower from 60 mph to 25 mph through fall.

The existing culvert has been identified as a barrier to fish and will be replaced with a 220-foot long concrete box structure that will open up two miles of potential fish habitat.

Real-time traffic information is available on the WSDOT traffic app and on the Olympic Region Weekly Construction and Traffic Updates web page.