Interstate 5 over the Nisqually River. Photo Courtesy: The Tacoma News Tribute
The Nisqually Delta is the target of a highway construction project designed to head off the threat of flooding along Interstate 5.
“We are looking at a design that would essentially elevate I-5 over the Nisqually River” says WSDOT’s Mark Krulish
“The Nisqually River has been effected by climate change and the bridges there are more susceptible to rising tides and higher water levels.”
One option is roughly a half-mile long; the second more than 2 miles.
The project would allow more traffic along I-5 between DuPont and Lacy and improve the Delta ecosystem “Various species of Trout and Steelhead use the Nisqually River for spawning” Krulish says.
A deadly Amtrak train derailment in 2017 near McCord Air Force base led to transportation chaos “If I-5 were shut down for a significant length of time” Krulish says “That would wreak havoc on our transportation system.”
That incident still raises red flags over the need to protect this major north-south connector route.
The Nisqually Delta project is currently going through a public comment period; it has no timeline yet for completion.
