Construction crews last week finished building 110 acres of wetland and six stormwater ponds as part of highway widening work near Battle Ground, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Workers under contractor Tapani Underground reshaped the landscape over four months, WSDOT said. The mitigation work creates new wetlands to make up for areas affected by the planned widening of state Highway 502 between Interstate 5 and the west end of Battle Ground.
The highway expansion portion of the $88 million project is scheduled to begin in earnest next year. Planners hope to boost capacity and mobility on the east-west corridor used by 14,000 vehicles a day, according to WSDOT.
