Detours near Ephrata, delays near Moses Lake as construction ramps up

Key points: 

A section of State Route 282 near Ephrata will be closed beginning Monday. People who want to get to or through Ephrata will be detoured to Airport Road Southeast. 

Repaving begins Monday on a section of Interstate 90 between Dodson Road and Road O Northeast. 

MOSES LAKE — The balmy summer days where there’s almost no delay for road construction are coming to an end – the part with no road construction, not the balmy summer days. Work starts Monday on some major projects, including a roundabout at the intersection of Nat Washington Way and State Route 282. Tom Gaines, Grant County central services director, said the work will require closing SR 282 at the intersection. 

“This is a major impact,” Gaines said.  

Construction is scheduled for completion in mid-September, he said.  

County and city engineers have been working on ways to get to and from Ephrata with the highway closed. 

“We have a detour route that was modeled by our engineer,” Gaines said.  

The recommended detour route uses Airport Road SE to Fifth Avenue Southeast to Nat Washington Way. Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry said getting around town is going to be a challenge for a few weeks. 

“It’s going to be a nuisance for everybody. Unfortunately, it’s just unavoidable,” Towry said. 

Fifth Avenue SE is the access to a residential neighborhood, so drivers should exercise caution and look out for pedestrians.  

The recommended detour route takes drivers past A Street Southeast, which provides access to Ephrata Middle School. Drivers should be prepared for a lot of traffic at A Street SE and Nat Washington Way once school starts, especially when children are being dropped off and picked up.  

“We’re very aware that intersection is going to become very difficult with the increased traffic,” Towry said.  

City, county and Ephrata School District officials will reevaluate the detour route as the project continues to see if changes need to be made, Towry said.

Repaving of Interstate 90 between Dodson Road and Road O Northeast also starts Monday. The section from Dodson to Mae Valley will be the eastbound lanes only, while Mae Valley to Road O NE will be both eastbound and westbound lanes.  

“Working days are Monday through Thursday until after Labor Day, then switch to Monday through Friday until Oct. 31,” according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation.  

Crews will be working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at least until Labor Day. The speed limit will be reduced to 40 to 55 miles per hour in the construction zone.  

Construction crews will be shaving down the top layers of the existing pavement and repaving, along with fixing cracks, adding signage and lane markings. Crews will be working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the WSDOT website. 

Drivers should plan for single-lane traffic through the construction zone and temporary ramp closures.  

It's the first phase of a two-year project to repave sections of I-90 between the Vantage Bridge and Road O NE. The second phase is scheduled for spring 2026 and will repave both eastbound and westbound lanes between the bridge and George. 

The start date for construction of a roundabout at the intersection of State Route 26 and South First Avenue in Othello has been moved back to Aug. 4. 

Once it’s finished, drivers will be able to cross SR 26 from South First Avenue to State Route 24 (South Broadway Avenue in Othello), which currently requires a detour via Columbia Street. Vehicles will be able to turn left at that intersection from SR 26 to SR 24, which isn’t allowed there now. 

Drivers should be prepared for temporary traffic signals and one-way alternating traffic through the intersection. 

A lot of truck traffic uses the intersection, and DOT engineers took that into account, according to the website. It’s what’s called a compact roundabout, with lower curbs and without the mound of rocks in the center. 

    The Interstate 90 on ramp at West Broadway Avenue in Moses Lake will be part of the repaving project that starts Monday.