Othello roundabout construction to start May 4

OTHELLO — There was one false start, but there’s an official date for the start of construction of a roundabout at the intersection of West Cunningham Road and State Route 17. 

“The project will start May 4,” said Sebastian Moraga, communications consultant for the Washington Department of Transportation.  

Construction originally was announced for April 26, with project completion in mid-July.  

The section of West Cunningham at the intersection will be closed to traffic during construction, but SR 17 will remain open with automated traffic signals. The configuration of SR 17 will remain unchanged, with one lane in each direction. The center island will have a higher curb and a mound of rock in the middle.  

Most of the work is scheduled for weekdays. 

The project originally was scheduled for construction in 2022, but a combination of funding reallocations and heavy work schedules pushed it back to 2025. It was postponed again due to budget constraints.   

North Stratford Road will remain open during a three-week project to upgrade a crosswalk at the intersection of Stratford and Knolls Vista Drive. Drivers should plan for delays during work hours, however. 

One lane at a time will be closed on Stratford, and sidewalks within the work zone will be closed. Crews are starting on the east side of Stratford.  

All pedestrians will be directed to the crosswalk on Valley Road, which has a traffic light.  

Construction started April 21, with completion scheduled by May 11, according to a release from Moses Lake city officials.  

The project includes a flashing beacon to alert drivers when the crosswalk is in use. Curb ramps that are compliant with ADA regulations will be added; an “accessible pedestrian signal” will be added to accommodate people with impaired hearing or vision.   

Drivers traveling between George and the Vantage Bridge on Interstate 90 should be prepared for single-lane travel and reduced speeds at night while construction crews are working on repaving it.  

Moraga said crews will be working until about mid-August, with all the work at night. 

“Work will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday each week,” Moraga said. “Contractors will repave and restripe approximately 11 miles of I-90 to extend the service life of the pavement.” 

Crews will be grinding down the existing pavement and resurfacing ramps and travel lanes both eastbound and westbound. Drivers should be prepared for lane closures, reduced speed limits in the work zone and delays.  

It’s the second phase of a two-year project to repave sections of the freeway between Moses Lake and the bridge. The first phase, between Moses Lake and the Dodson Road exit, was paved in 2025. Total project cost over the two years is about $22 million.   

The work zone ends at the Vantage Bridge, which is in the third year of a project to replace the bridge deck. The bridge also has reduced speed limits in the work zone and one lane in each direction.  

Work on the Vantage Bridge will continue through the end of the construction season in October, although it will be open over the Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day weekends. Department of Transportation officials have recommended since the beginning of the project that drivers look for alternate routes in the spring and summer travel seasons. One of the recommended routes is over Blewett Pass; however, there’s a construction project over Blewett Pass through early June.  

Construction crews will be working on guardrails near Lauderdale Junction, about 20 miles north of Ellensburg, and from the Blewett Pass summit to about seven miles south of Peshastin, according to the WSDOT press release. Moraga said crews will be replacing existing guardrails. 

“Travelers can expect reduced speed limits, automatic (or) flagger-controlled traffic, temporary rumble strips and pilot cars, and should plan for delays,” Moraga said.

    Vehicles roll over the Vantage Bridge in March. A combination of bridge construction and Interstate 90 repaving has prompted WSDOT officials to advise people to find alternate cross-state routes.