Crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will soon kick off the first of two significant traffic changes in the McCleary area.

Following the evening commute Thursday, March 30, crews will close the intersection of State Route 8 and State Route 108 to all traffic. During the closure, drivers will be detoured via the nearby Mox Chehalis Road interchange a couple miles to the east of the intersection.

Then, weather permitting, crews will reduce State Route 8 in McCleary to one lane in each direction using a traffic shift Monday, April 10, and the speed limit will decrease from 60 mph to 45 mph. The traffic shift could be delayed and rescheduled due to weather.

Both the intersection closure and lane restrictions will be in place around the clock through the summer of 2019. Impacts to traffic are expected to be minimal, according to department spokesman Doug Adamson; however during clam tides and hot summer weekends, drivers are advised to expect short delays.

The changes create work zones from which to build new bridges associated with a fish passage project to improve the flow of Wildcat Creek under State Route 8 near McCleary. For more information on the project visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr8/midandeforkswildcatcrkfishbarriers/.