Basin road projects ongoing to the end of summer -- some into fall

QUINCY — Back-to-school sales, NFL preseason games, apple harvest dead ahead – it's still summer, but fall is approaching. While some road projects are wrapping up, others are still ongoing, and some will continue after fall gets here. 

A section of M Street Northeast near Quincy High School remains closed as construction crews work on upgrading both the street and the underground utilities. Improving the road is one of the requirements for two separate housing developments under construction on either side of the road.  

Upgrades to the utilities are being paid for by the city of Quincy. City officials decided it would be cheaper to put in new water and sewer mains while the road was being rebuilt. Infrastructure for water reclamation is being installed as well. Cost of the utility upgrades is about $1.9 million. 

Work on a section of Herman Road north of Othello is scheduled for completion in October, said Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger. Construction crews are resurfacing the road, adding rumble strips on the shoulder, new signs throughout and intersection improvements.  

Project cost is about $1.6 million.  

Of course, the projects with the biggest impact get the most attention, and in the Columbia Basin that includes work on Interstate 90. The Hansen Road overpass project and work at the Vantage Bridge aren’t stopping traffic, but they’re definitely having an impact.  

Drivers are facing 24/7 single-lane closures around the Hansen Road project and will until it’s completed in late 2026 or early 2027. Different lanes will be closed at different times, depending on where crews are working, said Summer Derrey, communications manager for the Washington Department of Transportation North Central Region, in an earlier interview. 

“Shifts will occur as needed, depending on the work taking place,” Derrey said. 

Drivers work their way through the construction zone with the help of temporary signs and big orange barrels. Speeds are reduced in the construction area.  

Local access is subject to change as the construction zone changes. The eastbound offramp at Hansen Road has been closed part of the time, and at times westbound traffic has been diverted using the onramp and offramp.  

Hansen Road bridge was one of three freeway overpasses between Moses Lake and George that were found to have extensive damage and closed earlier this year. Department of Transportation officials ultimately decided to replace all three, Hansen Road in 2026 and Adams Road and Hiawatha Road in 2027.  

The Vantage Bridge project is in its third year; crews are replacing the bridge deck. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction with speed limits in the construction zone.  

Drivers have experienced delays as a result, especially on busy weekends. DOT officials have suggested taking alternative routes, either south through Yakima or Tri-Cities or north over Blewett Pass to Wenatchee.