ELLENSBURG — The first night of closing Interstate 90 near Easton for a short period to blast rocks is scheduled for Thursday. 

The freeway is scheduled to be closed in both directions starting at 8 p.m., according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation. Crews will be blasting rocks off the hill above the freeway for about an hour, the press release said. Eastbound traffic stops at milepost 64 while westbound traffic is stopped at exit 70 at Easton. The rock blasting work will continue throughout the summer and into the fall, the press release said. 

The rock blasting is part of a multi-year project to widen that section of I-90 from two lanes in each direction to three. Summer Derrey, assistant communications manager for the WSDOT South Central region, said in an earlier interview that the section at Easton is subject to traffic slowdowns in the summer, especially eastbound on Fridays and westbound on Sundays. Adding a third lane is expected to help alleviate that, she said.

Construction crews are working on a bridge repair near Cle Elum, impacting westbound traffic. The work is underway 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Drivers can expect minor delays.

Crews are working to stabilize slopes east of North Bend, another 24/7 project. Single lanes along a multi-lane stretch of the freeway will be closed in each direction.

The weather may affect a project scheduled for Tuesday along US 97 in East Wenatchee.

Crews will chip seal a 2-mile section of the highway from the stoplight at the intersection with State Route 28 (the Frances Farmer Bridge) to the roundabout at Enterprise Drive. But chip seal is finicky, and requires specific temperatures to stick, a DOT press release said. 

Temperatures must be above 60 degrees, with a dry road surface and a pavement temperature of 55 degrees or higher, the press release said. Wind speeds must be less than 10 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service is forecasting lows of 49 for the Wenatchee area Monday night, and if the weather hasn’t warmed up by Tuesday morning, there might be a change in the work schedule. Construction is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“If the early morning weather proves too cold, it might push the start time to later in the day,” the press release said. 

Drivers can expect flagger-controlled traffic and loose rocks in the work zone, and some delays. 

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