Snapshot: Construction Photography, March 2026
Photographer: Orion Batchelor Submitted By: Cassady Barnes, Proposal Coordinator, Granite Construction, Everett, Wash.
In December, western Washington State was slammed by an atmospheric river, resulting in mass flooding and extensive damage to major highways and infrastructure.
A section of US Highway 2 near Skykomish sloughed off and fell into the river below.
A Granite team under contract with the Washington State Dept. of Transportation removed more than 8,000 cu yd of material from the roadway and stream before rebuilding both.
Orion Batchelor, Granite project engineer, used his iPhone 14 to capture a photo of an excavator reconstructing the damaged stream channel.
“I thought this picture captured the overall essence of the project,” he says. “Harsh working conditions, long hours and important work needed to reopen Highway 2 and give the public access to continue their travels east.”
