Road projects continue as September approaches

QUINCY — The dirt is flying on A Street Northeast in Quincy.  

Construction crews were moving excavated soil and compacting the roadbed Thursday morning. A Street Northeast is being completely rebuilt from the intersection with Third Avenue Northeast to Sixth Avenue Northeast. The section of Sixth Avenue to the intersection to B Street Northeast is part of the project also. 

The intersection at A Street and Third Avenue is closed – and right now it’s a couple of feet below the existing road. Traffic restrictions extend beyond the immediate construction zone, beginning at Second Avenue Northeast, B Street Northeast and Division Street Southeast. Only local traffic is allowed in the restricted areas, but B Street Northeast and C Street Northeast are open for through traffic. 

The project has been in the works for a couple of years, part of the city’s effort to improve truck routes and reduce truck traffic in residential areas. The road will be repaved, with sidewalks added on one side of the street and a guardrail between the street and the railroad tracks on the other side.   

Drivers also will encounter detours on M Street Northeast around Quincy High School, along the section designated Jackrabbit Street Northeast. The construction zone starts a few yards past the QHS football field; the student parking lot is still accessible, but the intersection at Sixth Avenue Northeast is closed. Drivers trying to access QHS from the east will run into a detour at Columbia Way. 

Crews are working 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. The road is being widened and repaved with sidewalks, curbs and gutters added. 

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. 

A project to improve safety measures at intersections along SR 17 in the Othello area will start Sept. 14, but crews will be doing preliminary work in the area next week. 

Adams County Engineer Scott Yeager said the “high volume corridor” traffic safety project will add what is known as stop bars to intersections of county roads and SR 17. Upgraded stop signs and rumble strips also are part of the project. Fourteen intersections are scheduled for upgrades. 

Ever-shifting traffic patterns will be part of life for drivers along Interstate 90 at Moses Lake for the rest of the year as crews work to rebuild the Hansen Road overpass.  

As of now, there is sky where the overpass used to be. The work has shifted to the road shoulder, where crews are building the base for the new overpass supports.  

The freeway will be open throughout the bridge replacement, which means drivers should look for frequent lane closures as work progresses. As of Thursday, the outside lane was closed in each direction as power shovels dug into the dirt at the base of the overpass.  

The overpass was closed in January after an inspection found extensive damage throughout the structure. It’s scheduled for completion in late 2026 or early 2027 at an estimated cost of $15 to $17 million. 

The Vantage Bridge project is in its third year; crews are replacing the bridge deck, a project scheduled to wrap up in 2028. 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. Department of Transportation officials have suggested taking alternative routes, either south through Yakima or Tri-Cities or north over Blewett Pass to Wenatchee. 

    A compactor rolls over the excavated roadbed along A Street Northeast in Quincy Thursday.