Second lake crossing; where would it go?

Funding, location of bridge tops discussion at meeting

MOSES LAKE —A second crossing across Moses Lake could be an infrastructure linchpin for economic development in the community, and area leaders want to see what they can do to make that crossing a reality.

The city is competing with every other area in the state, country and world for industry, with transportation improvements one route officials say will make Moses Lake more attractive for industrial growth. One long-talked about improvement to achieve that growth has been the second lake crossing, which topped discussion at the Greater Moses Lake Economic Development Forum Wednesday at the Moses Lake Fire Department.

The city has done a handful of studies in Moses Lake to try and identify a good route, but Municipal Services Director Gary Harer said the lake itself is problematic.

"We're built around a bunch of horns of the lake," Harer said. "There aren't really a whole lot of routes."

In the event the Interstate 90 bridge gave out, statewide traffic would have to be diverted nearly 40 miles through Ephrata to get back onto the interstate. The other primary routes of Highway 17 and the Alder Street Fill through the city of Moses Lake are becoming increasingly congested, and leaders are looking to a second city or county bridge across the lake to alleviate that problem.

An exact crossing spot will require additional planning, and discussions on how to fund any project are likely to follow. A crossing from the Mae Valley area to McConihe Road however, seemed the best alternative to many attendees at Wednesday's meeting, and would connect to the Port of Moses Lake property across Highway 17 on Randolph Road.

Grant County Public Works Director Derek Pohle said the county has always looked at the Mae Valley interchange as a potential corridor for a state highway or county arteriole. Pohle suggested brand new arteriole alignment could be priced from $200,000 to $300,000 per mile, though that estimate does not factor in the additional cost of a water crossing.

In order for any plan to go through, Ron Baker with the Big Bend Economic Development Council said a crossing needs to be placed on the six-year road plan of the municipality which will have jurisdiction over the project.

"Until it's on a person's six-year street plan, it's not going anywhere," Baker said.

Kent Jones with the Port of Moses Lake added the group needs to find the best possible links and plan them. If there is an ultimate goal in mind, and the plan is there, then the Boeings of the world will come to Moses Lake. But if the area is not ready, he said, it's not going to happen.

The problem with some options are they take people into residential areas, but do not relieve strain on routes which take those residents to and from work. The alternatives include paths like extensions of Valley Road through to Highway 17, and connections across Dogwood Street or through Crestview Drive.

A crossing from the existing Crestview Drive, Harer estimated, would incur the biggest crossing costs, with an estimated cost of $35 million due to its high elevation and length. Harer said one traffic problem is currently the amount of traffic on Valley Road into the Cascade Valley.

"All these crossings have benefits, there's no doubt about it, they all have benefits," Harer said.

Councilman Brent Reese has historically championed the idea of a second lake crossing, and told attendees not to forget about crossings in the Peninsula area and into Cascade Valley. Reese said he has also been in favor of a crossing extending Paxson Drive, an idea which he doesn't think should be abandoned. A crossing at Dogwood, Reese said, doesn't make sense because of the crossing primarily into a residential area.

Reese reiterated comments made by Mayor Ron Covey, saying despite the fact some crossings may not happen for several years, he would hate to see potential spots plugged up when they could be used down the road. Reese said municipalities should make sure to hang onto what land they have.

Covey said the process is to eventually move into the future, in an effort to accommodate development in places like the Cascade and Mae valleys. Covey said the Moses Lake area is not in a position to build several crossings across the lake right now, but the city will be someday, and he said area leaders need to start planning for it.

"You go to Spokane, how many streets cross the Spokane River?" Covey asked. "There will become a time that we will require a bunch of crossings across the lake."