EPHRATA — Drivers who frequently travel on Road 9 Northwest between Dodson Road and State Route 283 already know it, but drivers who don’t might want to find an alternate route while the road gets some work. Road construction also is planned for a section of Road H Southeast near Royal City, and upgrades to sidewalks and pedestrian ramps in the Larson area north of Moses Lake.

Grant County Engineer David Bren said it’s a case of trying to get as much road and bridge construction done in 2024 as possible, since there’s already a long list of projects for 2025.

“We’re going for it,” Bren said. “We already have $12.2 (million in road projects) already on the books for 2025. It is our hope to get as much of it done as we can.”

The section of Road 9 Northwest is being rebuilt, including replacing a bridge across an irrigation canal.

“They’re working on it. The old bridge was removed and the new bridge panels are already being put in,” Bren said. “They don’t play around - once they get to that point, they roll. And then you’ll see the road get reworked on either side (of the bridge).”

Project cost is about $2.1 million, about $1.89 million of it funded by the state. 

“A good section of road being improved,” he said. 

Road H Southeast also is scheduled for reconstruction. 

“I don’t know when construction is going on that one yet,” Bren said. “I believe that one has a bridge on it as well. So it will be very similar to (Road 9 Northwest) where we’ll have to basically switch out the bridge and then do the road on either side of it.”

Project cost is about $1.8 million, with about $1.498 million from the state. In both cases, the remaining cost comes out of Grant County funds. 

Construction crews also will be upgrading sidewalks in part of the Larson area, and upgrading pedestrian ramps at some intersections to comply with new American with Disabilities Act standards. Project cost is about $300,000, with the cost shared equally between Grant County and the Port of Moses Lake.

Bren said that while there’s a lot of bridge construction in 2024, most bridges in Grant County have stood the test of time.

“There’s some standouts that we need to replace, but our bridge system for Grant County, compared to other counties, is in really good shape. And I think part of that is that a lot of our bridges are old wood bridges, but our climate makes it so that our bridges don’t rot out,” he said.

“We’re fortunate because of our weather, that allows for the longevity of our old wood bridges.”

Grant County’s bridge system also is a testament to the work of the people who built them, Bren said.

“Some of the concrete bridges that were done almost 100 years ago, that are amazing works of art out there,” he said. “There are some amazing bridges that are still in use and doing great. Those before us did a good job of setting us up to where we are now. So we are reaping the benefits of our climate plus the hard work and effort of those before us doing things right. It makes a big difference.” 

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.