New Potato Hill Road crossing closer to reality

State transportation budget allocates funds for future four-lane bridge

MOSES LAKE — A new bridge over Interstate 90's Potato Hill Road crossing is inching closer to a reality.

The two-lane overpass is the last of 10 to be replaced by the Washington Department of Transportation between Moses Lake and George, and had been a focus for Moses Lake city leaders looking toward future development.

With bridge improvements on the horizon, the city had been searching for a funding source to expand the bridge to four lanes as the city grows south of the interstate. Success came with the passage of the most recent state transportation budget, which gave $750,000 in funding for the project. That project will be a two-lane bridge, but with wide enough lanes and shoulders to allow for lane expansion as needed by the city.

"This was what the city was shooting for," Moses Lake City Manager Joe Gavinski said.

Gavinski said that in addition to a proposal that will be built to accommodate four lanes, the project will also serve as a crossing for pedestrian and bike traffic. For now, the city and DOT are working on final designs, and Gavinski said DOT has asked the city to look at that final design before bids go out in the fall.

The current bridge sits between two-lane Potato Hill Road and four-lane Division Street, and the city wanted to expand the bridge as the city itself expands. According to DOT project engineer Joel Voth, the current series of bridges are too low for the passage of some tractor trailers, causing damage from the vehicles. Those vehicles unable to cross have had to travel up to 40 miles out of their way to traverse that section of Washington. It has also been a target for not meeting design standards. Voth said the bridge had been scheduled for replacement as a two-lane before city officials began working on funding for a four-lane bridge.

"We can always go back and add on to bridges," Voth said, "but it's never going to be less expensive then it is right now."

The project will be striped for two wide lanes. City Municipal Services Director Gary Harer said current designs for the bridge will have a 12-foot bike shoulder on each side as well as a 6-foot walking sidewalk on each side.

Those improvements were a boon for State Sen. Joyce Mulliken, who applauded the City of Moses Lake and the Washington DOT for working together on the project.

Voth said the structure will include wide shoulders for those future improvements, the funding now brings the project cost up to approximately $4 million. The city and DOT are currently finalizing design work on the project with bids scheduled to go out this fall. Voth said he envisions construction beginning on the project in the spring of 2006. He said making improvements now will be less expensive for all involved.

"Bridges are designed for a 75-year life," Voth said, "so we want to be looking ahead when we can."