ROAD REPORT: I-90, SR 282 projects under way

MOSES LAKE — It being the height of summer – long sunny days, long warm evenings, the swimming pool, barbecues – it's also the height of construction season. Drivers going to and from Ephrata and traveling certain sections of Interstate 90 through Grant County already know about the delays. 

“Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will pave two separate sections of eastbound and westbound I-90 between Moses Lake and east of the Vantage Bridge until Oct. 31, then resume in spring 2026,” wrote Sebastian Moraga in a WSDOT press release. “The work will pave sections of the road that have been identified as most in need of restoration.” 

The section of I-90 from Dodson to Mae Valley will be repaved in the eastbound lanes only, while Mae Valley to Road O NE will be both eastbound and westbound lanes. Crews will be working Monday through Thursday until after Labor Day, then switch to Monday through Friday through the end of the construction season. 

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 some delays, single-lane traffic through the construction zone and temporary ramp closures.  

Getting to and through Ephrata is slightly more complicated for the next two months or so, as the section of State Route 282 at the intersection of Nat Washington Way has been closed while crews install a roundabout. 

Grant County Central Services Director Tom Gaines said that more signs will be added between Quincy and Ephrata and Soap Lake and Ephrata to clarify the detour routes. 

“New signs are being ordered, and we hope to install them by early next week,” he wrote in a social media post.  

A driver missed the barricades and almost hit a worker in the construction zone, Gaines said.  

“I can’t stress enough – please respect road closures and slow down in work zones,” he said. Gaines said the project is scheduled for completion by mid-September. 

There is a recommended detour route using Airport Road SE to Fifth Avenue Southeast to Nat Washington Way. Fifth Avenue Southeast is the access road to a residential neighborhood, so drivers are urged to exercise caution and look out for pedestrians. 

The 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 immediately before and immediately after school.  

Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry said in an earlier interview that city, county and Ephrata School District officials will reevaluate the detour route as the project continues to see if changes need to be made. 

The new Grant County Jail is under construction on the south side of the intersection, and the roundabout is a crucial part of that project, Gaines said. Washington Department of Transportation officials have said the roundabout must be completed before the new jail can open, and the jail is scheduled for completion and occupancy in spring or early summer 2026. 

A start date has not been announced for the resurfacing of the downtown area of Moses Lake, sections of Wheeler Road and South Hill Street.  

Correction: A typo in the headline has been corrected.

    The new roundabout at the intersection of Nat Washington Way and SR 282 will be one lane in each direction.