Traffic restricted on Vantage Bridge throughout June
May 23—VANTAGE — It turns out the Vantage Bridge will be reduced to one lane on weekdays in June after all.
As most cross-state travelers already know, one lane in each direction on the bridge is closed most of the time during construction season as it undergoes a major, multi-year overhaul. Information from the Washington Department of Transportation indicated that both lanes of the bridge in each direction would be open throughout June.
Megan Lott, communications manager for the WSDOT south central region, said there was some misunderstanding though, and the bridge will be closed on weekdays in June.
"Our mistake," Lott said.
All four lanes of the bridge will be open Memorial Day weekend and during the week after, from May 23 through June 1. After that, traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction Monday through Friday throughout the month of June. All lanes will be open on weekends.
Two lanes will be open in each direction over the July 4 weekend, July 3 through 8. But after July 8 the construction schedule shifts, Lott said, and one lane in each direction will be closed through the end of the construction season in November. The exception will be Labor Day weekend, Aug. 28 through Sept. 2, when both lanes will be open in each direction.
The Vantage Bridge was one of the first projects to start in the spring, along with an extensive paving project on 2.2 miles of Westshore Drive. To date, construction crews have removed the old roadbed, rebuilt it, poured gutters and added a base layer for sidewalks. The sidewalks are being poured now.
"There are no delays; the project is on schedule," said interim Grant County Engineer Dave Bren.
The contractor has 70 working days to finish, Bren said, with a completion date of mid-July.
Fewer DOT road projects are scheduled in Grant and Adams counties in 2025 than was the case in 2024, but there are some planned later in the summer.
Sebastian Moraga, communications consultant for the DOT north central region, said two sections of Interstate 90 are scheduled for repaving, with the start date right in the middle of summer. That means the project might not be finished in one construction season — some sections may have to wait until 2026.
"It is not scheduled to start until mid-July at the earliest," Moraga wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald.
Paving is scheduled for the Vantage Bridge to George, then from Dodson Road to Mae Valley. Crews will be shaving down the original surface and repaving, fixing cracks, adding signage and lane markings. Drivers on I-90 may experience delays while the crews are working. There might be some short-term ramp closures, so getting on and off I-90 in the project area might mean taking an alternate route.
A project to improve a section of Schoonover Road about eight miles west of Ritzville is scheduled to start in June.
A new roundabout is scheduled for State Route 26 and its intersection with South First Avenue in Othello. Moraga said construction is scheduled to begin in early August, lasting two to three months.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Washington's work zone speed camera program continues rollout
The Brief Washington's "Work Zone Speed Camera Program" aims to reduce speeding and crashes in highway work zones. Since April, over 2,600 infractions have been issued, with most being first-time violations without fines. More cameras will be deployed next month, with the program running until June 2030. DUPONT, Wash. - Less than two months after launching, transportation officials are liking what they are seeing so far when it comes to the state's "Work Zone Speed Camera Program." Though some confusion exists among drivers through one work zone about the initiative. Created by a 2023 law, the WSDOT campaign rotates trailer-mounted cameras in various active highway work zones across the state to catch speeding drivers in hopes of slowing them down. WSDOT data shows an average of over 1,300 crashes have taken place annually around work zones over the past five years, with speeding being one of the main causes of those accidents. "Work zones are dangerous places in themselves, right? And then obviously having people drive through those work zones at a very high rate of speed also increases the danger for the workers and also the traveling public that goes through those work zones," said Kyle Miller, Program Manager for the camera project. The first camera launched in April, and another one rolled out this past week. Miller said the mobile cameras have moved around numerous work zones across Western Washington, including the Interstate 90/State Route 18 interchange project, fish passage work on U.S. Highway 12 in Grays Harbor County and work on Interstate 5 along Joint Base Lewis-McChord. "Anywhere where there's a worker – WSDOT, construction, some sort of project – we are able to use this solution," Miller said. "This tool is allowed to be used in any type of work zone – whether it's maintenance, whether it's an emergency, whether it's a big construction project you see on I-5 or I-90." According to Washington State Patrol data, 2,618 infractions have been issued since the program started. 2,504 of them were first-time violations that have no fine, while the remaining 114 infractions were second-time violations with a fine of $248. WSDOT is still compiling and analyzing data as the program is in its beginning phases, but Miller said work crews are reporting a difference in driver behavior. "When people see those signs, they appear to be slowing down from the feedback that I'm getting from the field itself – which is great, great news," he said. Many drivers through the Interstate 5 work zone said they support the idea of having a camera to slow people down for safety. Though a lot of them did not even know a camera could be there. "It's the first I've heard of it," said driver Tyler Hays from Chehalis. "I could see it being a good cause for the construction workers so people aren't exceeding the speed limit. It just keeps it safer for the construction workers who are just trying to do their jobs." "I've never seen it before," said DuPont resident Jinnori Serino. "It kinda just looks like part of the construction that is every day." Commuters through the area said while it is important to follow speed limits regardless of a camera, they would want to see more clear signage where one could be. "If your regular speed on the freeway, you're gonna keep going 70 – and especially if there's nothing that is significantly to show you that there's construction and a speed camera and whatnot," Serino said. "I think the speed cameras are okay, but only if people know that they're there," said Tacoma resident James King. "It should be to help people keep the speed limit so they'll keep themselves safe and those around them safe." WSDOT said they put up as many signs as possible alerting drivers to the camera's presence, as they want people to know to slow down. "This is not a gotcha in any way," said Assistant Communications Manager Amy Moreno. "We're actually happy when we don't generate infractions because people slowed down and that's a pretty successful deployment for us." As the rollout continues, Miller said more cameras will be launched next month, with work zones all across the state being discussed as new deployment locations. And as summer travel coincides with more road maintenance, it is in everyone's best interest to slow down. "This is not just about the worker's safety, it's also about the traveling public that goes through," he said. "Because ultimately, we really do want to make sure that everybody can come home safe." Miller said the program should have 15 cameras available to rotate across work zones within the next few years. The program is set to expire at the end of June 2030. The Source Information in this story came from Albert James, a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University. Travis Decker manhunt: 'Remote' areas of 5 WA counties told to lock doors Former Army squadmate shares insight into Travis Decker's military past Miles Hudson found guilty on 2 counts of reckless driving in Seattle Key figures from Bryan Kohberger's youth summoned to Idaho for student murders trial Rochester dog training facility owner accused of killing employee during video shoot To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
ROAD REPORT: Bids opening July 2 for Adams Co. Schoonover Road project
Jun. 6—Key points: * Work starting to ramp up on road projects throughout the region. * Schoonover Road project in Adams County should start in August. OTHELLO — Bids will be opened July 2 for the first phase of the rebuilding of Schoonover Road, with construction tentatively scheduled for early August. The first phase is a section about eight miles north of Ritzville; among other things, Schoonover Road connects Ritzville and Odessa. "This is a reconstruction that is widening (the road), with a new subbase and surfacing with asphalt, drainage facilities and safety rail where needed," said Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger in an earlier interview. "We're very excited to get that going," he said Tuesday. Schoonover Road is a multi-phase project; total cost for the first phase is about $3.13 million. A project to surface a section of Lind-Hatton Road in Adams County is entering its final phase. Yeager said guardrails will be installed next week in the project area, about five miles north of State Route 26 between South Damon Road and Phillips Road to the BNSF Railroad tracks. Repaving is scheduled to start June 12, with a second coat applied a week later, Yaeger said. Total project cost is about $3.12 million. People traveling on Highway 2 north of Wenatchee will encounter some delays between Leavenworth and Peshastin, beginning Monday. Traffic signal cameras and pedestrian safety upgrades will be installed at the intersection of Peshashtin's main street and Highway 2. Contractors also will be working on the Wenatchee River bridge on Highway 2 in Leavenworth. The project is scheduled for a maximum of10 working weekdays, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation. Crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Crews will be working the night of June 12-13 from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some projects are ongoing, some getting close to conclusion and others continuing throughout the construction season. Crack-sealing is continuing on Moses Lake streets, as well as work on sidewalks and gutters on Westshore Road west of Moses Lake. A misunderstanding led to some confusion about the Vantage Bridge project, which — as cross-state drivers know — is continuing with one lane open in each direction in June. Originally the WSDOT announced all four lanes of the bridge would be open in June. Actually, traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction Monday through Friday throughout the month of June. All lanes will be open on weekends. Two lanes will be open in each direction over the July 4 weekend, July 3 through 8. But after July 8, the construction schedule shifts, Lott said, and one lane in each direction will be closed through the end of the construction season in November. The exception will be Labor Day weekend, Aug. 28 through Sept. 2, when both lanes will be open in each direction.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Musk-Trump Feud: 5 Things To Watch For
President Donald Trump, left, and Elon Musk. Credit - Alex Wroblewski and Allison Robbert—AFP via Getty Images This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME's politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. Like so many pieces of President Donald Trump's self-created reality, the key he handed to fellow billionaire and government hater Elon Musk was oversized and appeared to be coated with gold coloration. That Potemkin moment was merely one week ago today. Indeed, last Friday, Trump held the unusual send-off party for an adviser tasked with helping him destroy the spine of the federal workforce and a patron to his rise to power. Fast forward a week, and Trump has all but declared war on his one-time ally, lobbing threats to cancel federal contracts for everything from clean-energy cars, shuttles into the heavens, and access to satellite orbits. In turn, Musk kept pushing Republicans on the Hill to reject Trump's ambitious domestic policy agenda while throwing open the doors to conspiracy theories. The back-and-forth brinksmanship captivated Washington as the week headed toward its end. Both parties seemed to understand their ownership of the news cycle, and it's entirely possible that most of this spat was as scripted as a professional-wrestling beef. 'One thing's for sure,' Musk posted on X, 'it ain't boring!' That doesn't make it any less reckless. Here are five things to watch as this story unfolds. As catty as this feud has been, it is ultimately a huge distraction from Trump's agenda. The more time spent on a personality clash between this pair of mercurial iconoclasts, the less time is being dedicated to getting Trump's pending domestic agenda across the finish line. This is, to be clear, a fight that could leave both men empty handed. Trump is heading to his country club in New Jersey for the weekend, away from the White House and the churn of that campus. That may give Trump time to cool to a simmer—or to boil over if he's left alone with his DVR, social media feeds, and cell phone that gives him a constant hum of agitation. Establishment Republicans fear the window for a once-an-administration legislative reach is closing fast. The White House set a Memorial Day deadline for House passage and just barely got there. Administration officials are now looking at a July 4 target for the Senate following suit. The sooner Trump can quiet his frustrations, the better the odds of snagging the brass ring. Once Musk suggested—without evidence—that Trump is somehow implicated in the sex-trafficking criminality tied to the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, there really was no telling where this goes next. The mega-rich like Musk don't exactly have a huge degree of self-awareness or self-control. Musk knows he is already under Trump's skin, and any plays to exploit Trump's insecurities don't exactly take terrible imagination. That's why this stands to go further sideways in a big way. Musk is not exactly known for keeping the savviest of political minds at his table. Unlike other deep-pocketed patrons, Musk does not have an army of consultants and so-called donor-advisers at the ready. But he does have the ear of some in Trump's inner circle, especially Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President J.D. Vance. If the White House is looking for an off-ramp, it might avail itself of those two lesser-appreciated insiders. At its core, this spat began over Musk's criticism of the deficit spending that would accompany the Trump-branded 'One Big Beautiful Bill' that preserves and expands Trump's first-term tax cuts, slices into clean-energy initiatives carried in Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, and boosts spending on border and immigration policing. It's poised to add trillions to the national debt. Musk, a newly converted deficit hawk, has said he sees the red ink as an existential threat. House Republicans powered their first leg of this marathon across the line with the barest of majorities and zero margin for error. Democrats were unified in their opposition, and remain even more so now that they've had time to unpack everything in a 1,000-plus-page bill that also would limit how much courts could rein in Trump and neuter the ability of states to regulate artificial intelligence. In the Senate, things were already iffy. The White House plans to use a procedural trick that allows Senate Republicans to sidestep the typical filibuster rules and pass the legislation with a simple majority. But that's going to require keeping the parameters narrow and keeping the crayons inside the line, especially when it comes to long-term spending obligations. But Senate Republicans also plan to edit the bill text. Add in there Musk's threats of consequences for rubber stamping the House version and it's even murkier where this one goes. As soon as Musk and Trump began bashing one another in earnest on Thursday, the GOP base immediately started agitating in three big directions. In one corner were those bucking up Trump's flank. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon went so far as to suggest the feds look at Musk's immigration status, hinting that the South African-born Musk could find himself on the losing side of a deportation skirmish. In another stood Musk's defenders, who said maybe the world's richest man was onto something when it came to the criticism that sparked the fallout: that the tax cuts in the bill would balloon the nation's already terrifying pile of IOUs. Musk's following remains huge, but he does not have a natural constituency the way other political leaders enjoy. That is why he is such a potent force in electoral efforts, especially among voters who feel no one in elected office has their interests at heart. Add in there the libertarian-minded Silicon Valley set, and it's an unusual coalition that few others could muster. Finally—and this is where so many Republican lawmakers are falling in line—is the corner where there's a last-ditch hope that Trump and Musk can move on, forgetting the pettiness of the last week. The Kiss-and-Make-Up Caucus, as it's been jokingly called among Hill aides, is one with long odds, to be sure. But it's a detente that might allow both billionaires to save face while sparing lawmakers from picking sides, a fraught choice given the passions running high with low-information voters. Johnson, speaking with reporters on Friday, tried to navigate a way out of this mess without any new tinder. 'It's not personal,' Johnson told CNBC on Friday. 'I don't tell my friend Elon how … to build rockets. I wish he wouldn't argue with me on how to craft legislation and pass it.' Since Musk started busting-up the federal government in January, Hill Democrats have been in a listless tilt in search of a strategy. A few fiery speeches have not stopped Musk's march through the federal workforce. Some of the actions have been reversed, either through quiet climbdown or court-ordered pivots. But by and large, Democrats have been left on the sidelines and powerless to query Musk and his deputies, let alone stop them. That may shift now. Musk is clearly no longer a loyalist to Trump, who could still avail himself of claims of executive privilege and block Musk's cooperation with the Hill Democrats. But with Musk openly encouraging Trump's impeachment—which would be a record third time!—there are chances that this escalates in truly history-making ways. Hill Republicans have so far stuck together to protect Trump and, by extension, Musk from any real scrutiny. While much of Trump's Cabinet has bristled over Musk's over-reach into their fiefdoms, they have still dutifully shielded Musk and Co from any real oversight. Through some clever administrative trickery, the White House ensured that Musk was never technically a real federal employee, and even claimed he was never in charge of the office he was actually running. Efforts to haul him in for oversight hit a brick wall. Hill Republicans kept their frustrations buttoned-up and limited to closed-door venting. Now that Musk is untethered, the game may have changed. If the White House wanted to, it could go so far as to encourage Congress to make use of its subpoena power. While that's an unlikely outcome, Musk can no longer be assured of the safe bunker in Washington he had when this second Trump term began. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter. Write to Philip Elliott at
