Welcome to Skagit County
May 20, 2025 County Commissioners Designate National Public Works Week in Skagit CountyThe Skagit County Commissioners approved a proclamation last week to designate May 18th through May 24th, 2025, as National Public Works Week in Skagit County. The proclamation celebrates the essential contributions of public works professionals in our community. National Public Works Week has been sponsored annually by the American Public Works Association since 1960 to bring attention to public works services and programs in our communities. National Public Works Week is an opportunity to amplify those projects and raise awareness of the essential work done by public works staff that build and maintain our vital community infrastructure. The Public Works department at Skagit County employs nearly 150 employees in seven different divisions. Our staff manage over 800 miles of county road, 113 bridges, 1,072 culverts, 7,000 stormwater assets, 350 vehicles and pieces of equipment, three transfer stations, and a ferry system. The team includes engineers, project managers, mechanics, electricians, fabricators, grant experts, and support staff to manage our $52M roads budget. Yearly projects include road resurfacing, bridge repairs and maintenance, culvert replacements, habitat restoration work, stormwater management, clean water initiatives, flood mitigation, emergency management response, and so much more. The Skagit County Commissioners are dedicated to supporting the vital conditions our community needs to thrive, including reliable transportation and a healthy environment. The public works department aims every day to ensure we have safe and sustainable transportation networks utilizing efficient energy use and free from environmental hazards. Clean air, water, and soil, and a resilient community that can withstand our changing climate and increasing hazards from extreme heat and flooding, are all goals of our public works natural resources team which also support a thriving community. “I thank our public works professionals for dedicating their careers to Skagit County,” said County Commissioner Ron Wesen. “Public works requires our team to often work outside of the typical workday to respond to emergencies and maintain our infrastructure, which takes time away from families. This week is an opportunity to recognize their hard work and contributions which keep our county running smoothly.” The projects completed by our staff are important to protect and expand our economic footprint and ensure emergency routes for rural residents. For example, in 2025 Skagit County will complete the restoration and maintenance of the Marblemount bridge. This bridge is currently weight restricted and is limited to one-lane traffic, meaning heavy truck traffic must be rerouted, taking longer to move important supplies and goods and impacting our local businesses and area residents. Completing the bridge rehabilitation restores this vital economic connection. The Concrete Sauk Valley Road improvements at milepost 3.7 is another project with important regional significance. This road has deteriorated because of the Skagit River migrating over 500 feet westward during the past ten years, requiring the road to be shifted before erosion damages its integrity. If the encroaching erosion leads to a road closure, area residents would be significantly impacted by facing a 29-mile detour to reach Highway-20 at the Town of Concrete, impeding emergency response times, complicating evacuation routes, and delaying the reliable movement of freight. These are just two recent examples of how impactful public works projects are on our community’s ability to thrive in Skagit County. The Skagit County Commissioners are thankful for the public works staff and their dedication to improving the lives of our residents. Read more about our Public Works department at www.skagitcounty.net/PublicWorks |
