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Union Pacific Railroad, the city of Portland and the Portland-Milwaukie Light-Rail Transit Project are working together to replace a culvert that’s currently under UP track and will be under a light-rail extension.

The work is part of a Portland Bureau of Environmental Services project to replace eight culverts on Crystal Springs Creek that block fish access to a salmon habitat, Tri-County Metropolitan District of Oregon (TriMet) officials said in a prepared statement.

The culvert became accessible after TriMet’s light-rail construction provided the opportunity to replace it, agency officials said.

The culverts on the 2.7-mile, spring-fed creek restrict fish passage, cause flooding and can lead to a rise in creek water temperatures that could harm young salmon. The new culverts will allow salmon to access the length of the creek and reduce potential flooding.

“Union Pacific collaborates often with state and local agencies in Oregon that make the communities in the state some of the most livable in the U.S.,” said Brock Nelson, UP’s public affairs director. “Our efforts related to Crystal Springs Creek are part of our ongoing commitment to the communities where we operate trains.”

The culvert replacements are scheduled to be completed in 2014.