Road work means closures on west side of Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Road reconstruction triggered by construction of a Love’s Travel Stop on the west side of Moses Lake, on the south side of Interstate 90, will cause a series of temporary road closures.

Idaho Road will be closed to traffic for about three weeks, starting between Sept. 21 and Sept. 28, said George Ard, construction superintendent for Venture Construction. Sage Road will be the detour route for drivers who want to access the eastbound lanes of I-90.

Scheduling three weeks for the work allows sufficient time if Idaho Road needs more reconstruction than anticipated, he said.

Construction of the Love’s Travel Stop at the intersection of Idaho Road and Prichard Road, just off the eastbound lanes of I-90 at exit 174, started in late July, and crews were installing underground utilities Thursday.

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

Currently, the portion of Sage Road between Idaho Road and Sand Dunes Road is being rebuilt. Crews have removed the asphalt and were digging a new roadbed Thursday morning. The rebuilt section of Sage Road will get new lighting as well.

Sage Road is scheduled for completion during the week of Sept. 20. But Ard said completion may take a little longer.

Idaho Road will get new asphalt and signage. When Idaho Road is done, work will start on Prichard Road, Ard said. That’s tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-October.

The work on Prichard is scheduled to take about four weeks.

Prichard Road will stay open during construction, Ard said, with one lane open throughout. But Prichard becomes a one-way road once construction starts, he said.

The road is scheduled to become one-way, eastbound, once the truck stop is finished.

Sage Road will be open by the time the work on Prichard begins, giving drivers an alternative to the construction zone. Sage Road connects to Laguna Drive, which connects to Prichard.

His biggest concern, Ard said, is the protection of the construction crews, and he asked drivers to observe the speed limit.

“Respect the construction zone,” he said.

Laguna Drive between Prichard and Sage roads won’t be rebuilt. But it will become one-way southbound once the project is completed. Laguna Drive is scheduled to get new signs and striping in early November.