Road work season in full swing

MOSES LAKE — Road construction throughout the Columbia Basin is chugging along as several area projects move forward as spring progresses into summer.

Resurfacing of State Route 17 through Moses Lake has moved on to the resurfacing part of the project. Crews started working on the project in April, with the first phase being the replacement of ADA-accessible sidewalk ramps at intersections throughout the project area. The second phase of the project will involve resurfacing about seven miles of SR 17 where it runs through Moses Lake. Work on that began May 8.

Crews shave off and replace the top two to three inches of asphalt. Resurfacing started at the south end of town at the intersection of Interstate 90 and Pioneer Way and is working its way north to Patton Boulevard. The project is scheduled for completion in July.

Most of the time crews will be working from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and traffic will be restricted during working hours.

“Travelers should plan for single-lane closures, flagger-directed traffic and short-term closures of side road connections to SR 17, as well of the ramps to connect I-90 to SR 17,” wrote Sebastian Moraga, public information specialist for the Washington Department of Transportation, in a press release.

Detour routes will be available, and will have signs, according to the WSDOT website.

Weekend closures are scheduled for four bridges in the project area, beginning May 17.

“The closures are necessary to complete resurfacing and repair work to the bridge decks,” Moraga wrote. Detour routes will be available and will have signs during each bridge closure.

The first bridge to be resurfaced is at the entrance to I-90 at the south end of the project area. Resurfacing on the other three bridges thas tentatively been scheduled, but that could be subject to change.

Work on the Stratford Road interchange is scheduled for May 31, and two bridges over Parker Horn are scheduled for work between mid-June and early July.

Crews will be chip-sealing the section of State Route 26 between the SR 26 intersection with I-90 to the Grant County line. Chip-sealing of the section between Othello and the county line wrapped up earlier this week.

Crews will be working along SR 26 around Royal City during May, pause the project in June and restart in July and August. The speed limit in the chip-seal zone is 35 miles per hour until the rocks get swept off the road.

“Increased speeds can cause gravel to break loose from a fresh chip seal, cheating the risk of flying rock,” according to the WSDOT website.

Road crews are scheduled to be chip-sealing on SR 26 through May 20. Total project cost is about $7.9 million for the section near Royal City.

A substantial section of State Route 28 and all of State Route 281 will be getting crack sealed. Crack-sealing repairs relatively small cracks in the pavement by adding adhesive filler.

The section of SR 28 between Rock Island and Quincy is getting crack seal treatment, and chip sealing where traffic has worn away the surface. Drivers can expect delays and flagger-controlled traffic with a pilot car. That project is scheduled for completion May 17. Similar work is scheduled for SR 281; crews are working on the two miles north of George. That section is scheduled for completion by May 23.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.