Construction work delays SR-17 traffic

MOSES LAKE — Motorists traveling between Ephrata and Moses Lake on State Highway 17 have found themselves facing delays as state road crews restrict travel to one lane for an almost mile-long stretch near the Grant County International Airport.

“We’re flattening the slopes (of the highway), so there’s less chance of a rollover,” said Sterling Knipfer, a road engineer with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

While motorists were hit with delays that were expected to last as long as 20 minutes, the inconvenience of one lane for nearly a mile between Moses Lake and Ephrata is expected to be gone by the end of today, according to the WSDOT website.

However, Knipfer said road crews will resume work on the stretch of highway in October when they spray “green gunk” containing drought-tolerant grass seed along the flattened shoulders.

“It’s an erosion control measure,” Knipfer said. “We’re going to use native bunch grass, it won’t need to be mowed and doesn’t need to be irrigated.”

Knipfer said that while both lanes of traffic on SR 17 will likely remain open during the reseeding, flaggers will control traffic in order to ensure the safety of crews working close to the road.

In downtown Moses Lake, WSDOT crews are also extending the sidewalks of Beech Street across Broadway Avenue — State Route 171 — in what Knipfer called a “bulb-out.”

“We’re extending the sidewalks and reducing the cross distance (across Broadway),” Knipfer said.

The extension involves improving the wheelchair ramps at the intersection and increasing storm drain capacity, since the “bulb-out” will capture more rain water.

According to Knipfer, the cost of both projects is estimated at around $275,000.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.