February 20, 2024

Culverts to Conservation: Oldcastle Infrastructure’s Fish Passage Initiatives

At Oldcastle Infrastructure, we are more than manufacturers; we are collaborators, innovators, and stewards of the environment. Our commitment to sustainability and ecological conservation is showcased in our work on fish passage in Washington state, from the transformation of NE Woodinville Duvall Road in King County to our recent collaborations with Strider Construction on finding and implementing custom solutions for complex fish passage projects. We aim to seamlessly blend robust infrastructure with the natural environment, providing durable, low-maintenance solutions that facilitate the restoration of fish migration paths.

The NE Woodinville Duvall Road project exemplifies our collaborative spirit and engineering expertise. In replacing an old metal pipe culvert with a modern concrete box culvert, we did more than upgrade a piece of infrastructure. We undertook a significant ecological restoration, enhancing fish passages to bolster local biodiversity. This project was a testament to our ability to navigate complex challenges through close collaboration with local authorities and stakeholders, ensuring that our solutions are not only effective but also sustainable.

Our projects with Strider Construction further highlight our extensive expertise in tackling complex challenges posed by deep installations and specialized equipment requirements. These endeavors demonstrate Oldcastle Infrastructure’s proficiency in managing large-scale, technically intricate projects. Working alongside Strider, we crafted tailored solutions to address the distinct environmental and technical needs of each project, all while preserving the natural ecosystems. This partnership highlights our problem-solving abilities and our dedicated commitment to achieving common objectives by seamlessly collaborating with all project stakeholders.

Safety is our cornerstone at every phase of our projects, from inception to execution. We uphold stringent safety measures that span the entire lifecycle of a project, ensuring the well-being of our team, the community, and the environment. In our manufacturing processes, we’ve optimized culvert production by centralizing operations. This allows all lifting, rolling, and loading activities to be conducted indoors with the aid of bridge cranes, minimizing hazards and enhancing efficiency.

Our commitment to safety extends to the meticulous selection and collaboration with trusted freight carriers. We devise and employ meticulously engineered loading plans, meticulously crafted to mitigate risks and secure the safe transit of our products on public roads. This careful approach to planning and execution embodies our dedication to safety, underscoring it as a fundamental aspect of our operational ethos. It’s a reflection of our core values, where responsibility and meticulous care are woven into the fabric of our work culture, ensuring that safety is not just a regulatory requirement but a key pillar of our identity.

A notable moment that encapsulates our commitment to environmental stewardship occurred when a team member, while dining with his family near a recently completed project site, witnessed salmon fry navigating through the restored waterway. This observation underscored the significant impact of our work, highlighting the role our projects play in revitalizing local ecosystems and enriching community life.

Our ability to handle a high volume of work, such as the production and scheduling the installation of numerous culverts across a magnitude of project sites, displays our operational capabilities and reliability. Last year’s record of completing more than twenty fish passage projects, each with its unique challenges and requirements, stands as a testament to our scalability and commitment to excellence.

Explore the dynamic connection between innovation and ecology with Oldcastle Infrastructure’s Fish Passage Solutions Hub. Our dedicated page highlights the transformative Pepin Creek project and offers an exclusive opportunity for a plant visit, allowing you to step directly into Oldcastle Infrastructure.