Schoonover Road construction begins, other road projects progressing

RITZVILLE — A section of Schoonover Road north of Ritzville is closed to traffic as construction crews start work on a complete rebuild. Schoonover Road is closed from Rosenoff to Rehn roads. “Currently the contractor has ground the existing pavement and is working on clearing vegetation on the shoulder, and will then begin the earthwork portion,” wrote Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. Construction is scheduled for completion Nov. 4. The old road surface will be removed, the roadbed rebuilt with improved drainage, the road widened, and guardrails added where needed, Yaeger said in an earlier interview. It’s the first year of a multiyear project; the first phase project cost is about $3.13 million.