SR 409 on Puget Island to close for emergency culvert replacement Monday, Sept. 22

Travelers will follow signed detour during four-day closure

WAHKIAKUM - Emergency work to replace a failing culvert under State Route 409 will close the highway for up to four working days or until the work is complete.

Starting Monday, Sept. 22, Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will close SR 409 on Puget Island in both directions. A signed detour will help travelers reach their destinations with minimal delays. The highway is expected to reopen Thursday, Sept. 25, once the culvert is replaced and the roadway is fully restored.

During recent roadway repairs, crews discovered a large hole forming in the SR 409 surface near Welcome Slough Road caused by a failing culvert underneath the highway. To keep travelers moving until permanent repairs could be made, crews placed temporary steel plates over the damaged area.

"Safety is our top priority for both travelers and road crews," said WSDOT Maintenance Superintendent Aaron Waterman. "Fully closing SR 409 gives crews the space they need to remove and replace the culvert and restore the road."

Before the closure, WSDOT is working with the Puget Island Levy Commission to lower water in nearby sloughs. This gives crews safe access to the site and helps shorten the length of the highway closure.

What travelers can expect

• Crews will close both lanes of SR 409 from 7 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22, to 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25.
• The closure is between Welcome Slough and Birnie Slough Roads.
• The highway will remain closed until crews complete the culvert replacement and repair the road.

Culverts play an important role in keeping the roadway safe by carrying water under the highway and preventing flooding. Once this culvert is replaced, SR 409 will remain stable and better protected for travelers for years to come.