Hansen overpass closure to start Saturday

MOSES LAKE — The Washington Department of Transportation announced Friday that the Interstate 90 overpass at Hansen Road, near the Love’s Travel Stop in Moses Lake – Exit 174 – will be closing at 6 a.m. Saturday.  

"Given how important this overpass is to the businesses and neighborhoods on both sides of I-90, we expect WSDOT to elevate this to an emergency and give it the utmost urgency," said Moses Lake City Manager Rob Karlinsey. "This overpass closure will affect emergency response times, school bus routes, daily trips, and more. With the Hiawatha exit as the closest available interchange for north to south travel across I-90 on that side of the lake, that's a ten-mile detour."   

Structural deficiencies identified in a recent inspection were noted as the cause for the closure in the WSDOT announcement. The inspection showed signs of chloride contamination which had significantly degraded the bridge deck and piers, and closure was deemed necessary for public safety, with a risk of debris falling onto the interstate being a concern.  

Drivers traveling eastbound on I-90 will still be able to access the south side of I-90 via Exit 174 ramp, but westbound traffic will need to use Exit 169 Hiawatha Valley Road and turn around to access via eastbound I-90, the WSDOT press release said. 

The Moses Lake School District said WSDOT had informed them that inspectors would be on site Monday to conduct inspections and testing on the bridge and no timeline is set for the structure to reopen to traffic.  

While there will be no school on Monday due to the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, a transportation plan has been established for Tuesday through Friday, according to the MLSD statement issued by Ryan Shannon, the district’s director of public relations. General education student pick-up times are not expected to change. Laguna area students will ride bus route #00 in the morning. In the afternoons, Frontier Middle School and Moses Lake High School students will ride their regular buses to Peninsula Elementary, then transfer to bus #00. Peninsula students will also ride that bus in the afternoon. Laguna area students will be dropped off at Sage and Laguna at 3:52 p.m.; Camas and Sand Dune at 3:57 p.m.; Sand Dune and Lupine at 3:58 p.m.; and Sand Dune and Astor Loop at 4 p.m. Parents of special education students living in the Mae Valley area will be contacted directly by the district to coordinate transportation.  

“Families should anticipate that bus times may vary, particularly during the initial days of the closure, as traffic patterns adjust. We appreciate your patience and understanding as our transportation team continues to respond to this situation,” the MLSD statement read.