Partial road closures anticipated during Love’s Travel Stop construction

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials are talking with the Washington Department of Transportation on ways to limit road closures in Mae Valley while construction is underway on Love’s Travel Stop.

Moses Lake City Manager Allison Williams said during Tuesday’s city council meeting the talks last week also were with the company building the new Love’s Travel Stop.

The new truck stop is located at the intersection of Idaho Road and Prichard Road, just off the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 at exit 174.

But the new stop has garnered a lot of conversation and questions among residents and with city officials.

The potential for more traffic from Mae Valley, as well as the traffic generated by the truck stop, caused concerns and an online petition against the project, as well as questions from residents of the neighborhood.

The owners of Love’s Travel Stop gave the Herald a statement in February from Chad Previch, external communications manager.

“Love’s is in the process of undergoing extensive improvements around the location. Our improvements will make the interchange much safer than what currently exists,” Previch wrote.

The concern of neighborhood residents is illustrated by a spot along the shoulder of Sage Road, south of the proposed Love’s location. Fluctuating lake levels have eroded the shoulder almost to the edge of the pavement.

One resident said in a February interview Sage Road isn’t built to handle truck traffic, and the proposed traffic revisions will funnel trucks along Sage Road. The revision plan would change Prichard Road from a two-way street to one- way going east, and Laguna Drive would become a one-way street going south.

Residents have said that configuration would encourage trucks to use Laguna Drive and Sage Road to access the freeway westbound.

Municipal services director David Bren said the current plan while construction is underway calls for a partial closure of Prichard Road over a two-week period. A possible closure date was not announced.

Prichard Road provides access to the eastbound lanes of I-90. There is the possibility Prichard Road could be fully closed for three days during the road construction, Bren said, but he’s hoping that won’t happen. If Prichard Road was closed, people living in Mae Valley would have to go to Hiawatha Road to access the eastbound freeway, he said.

The revisions include lengthening the eastbound freeway on- and off- ramps. Westbound traffic will still access I-90 using the Hansen Road overpass.

City officials commissioned a traffic study for the Hansen Road intersection and Mae Valley. The study was supposed to be released in June, but wasn’t ready. Lynne Lynch, public information officer for the city, said in an email Aug. 5 the traffic study should be completed before the end of August. City officials will take some time to review the results, Lynch said.

Caitlin Campbell, media relations specialist for Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, wrote in an Aug. 5 email the Moses Lake location is scheduled for completion in March 2022, weather permitting.