Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in the USA has awarded a US$ 24 million design-build contract for the Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route (SR) 11 Padden Creek - Fish Passage project in Bellingham to Granite. Padden Creek supports the runs of coho and chum salmon and migrating Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Removing two barriers, one under SR 11 at 30th Street, the other under I-5 south of the SR 11/Old Fairhaven Parkway on- and off-ramps, will improve the habitat for migratory species and other wildlife along the 2.7 miles of Padden Creek between Lake Padden and Bellingham Bay.

The project is intended to improve fish passage and support WSDOT in meeting the Federal Injunction of removing nearly 800 fish barriers around Washington State by 2030. The scope of work includes the replacement of two existing fish barriers with new fish passable structures. At the I-5 site, an existing 400-foot box culvert will be replaced with twin 60-foot long bridge structures and a large precast arch. The existing 5-foot by 10-foot box culvert at the SR 11 site will be replaced with a 100-foot long 8-foot by 20-foot box culvert.