Othello highway work set for summer
Lynne Lynch/Columbia Basin Herald<br> A Walmart semi drives along state Route 26 Thursday, near where new turn lanes are planned.
OTHELLO — The Port of Othello, City of Othello and the state Department of Transportation (DOT) are planning to add much needed turn lanes to what used to be the town’s main entrance from state Route 26.
Drivers use the highway to travel back and forth from Seattle and Pullman, he said.
“This is on the list of one of the most dangerous intersections in the state,” said Port Administrator Mike Beardsley on Thursday.
Work is expected to start this summer, with the city and port each paying $74,000 for construction and the DOT contributing roughly $350,000, he explained.
Two right turn lanes and a center turn lane will be added.
The port’s portion of the design work costs $12,500.
“This will be the best intersection we’ve got when it’s done,” he noted.
A 20-mile portion of the highway, from the Adams County border east of Othello, is the site of a former state Safety Corridor Program, which was conducted from November 2004 to September 2006, according to the state Corridor Safety Program.
Billboards showing photos of a mother and a daughter previously killed in a car accident involving a drunk driver are displayed along the highway.
The port’s business park is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of state Route 26 and Reynolds Road.