MOSES LAKE — Traffic has been reduced from four lanes down to two on a section of Valley Road as construction crews begin grinding up the existing surface.

“From where we started on Stratford we go all the way to Paxson,” Mike Beem, project manager for Selland Construction, said.

Crews will be replacing the road surface, as well as some curbs and gutters, from Stratford Road to Paxson Drive.

One lane is open in both directions and will stay open throughout the project. Beem said crews will finish the north lanes before starting on the south lanes.

Replacing the old road begins with taking out what’s there, using a milling machine to grind it into small pieces.

“We’re milling the existing asphalt,” Beem said.

Once the asphalt is removed the roadbed will be excavated down to a total depth of about 12 inches, Beem said. Stormwater drains will be installed in portions of the project.

On Wednesday morning crews were working across the intersection at Valley Road and Central Drive, with cars headed uphill, downhill and across the intersection. Beem said flaggers will be controlling traffic at intersections throughout the duration of the project to ensure worker and commuter safety.

The project is projected to take about 100 working days, with completion scheduled sometime in October, Beem said. He added that the provided completion date is a good estimate of when the project will be done.

The total project cost is about $2.8 million, according to information from Moses Lake city officials.

The Stratford Road intersection had plenty of traffic, and Beem said drivers should avoid Valley Road if they can.

“Find an alternate route. Please. And please be patient,” he said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].