Vantage Bridge work may cause weekend delays
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
The first year of construction on the Vantage Bridge, pictured, will wrap up Nov. 1. Those traveling to the West Side over the weekend may want to allow for some extra time and use GPS devices to verify the fastest route.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | September 27, 2024 2:55 AM
VANTAGE — With about four weeks to go in the road construction season, projects are coming to a close around the region. A few roads are still subject to delays, or slowdowns, or otherwise interruptions, the busiest being the Vantage Bridge.
The bridge is in the first year of a project that’s expected to last until 2026 to rebuild the aging bridge deck. As of now that requires traffic to be shifted to one side of the bridge with one lane of traffic each way. Work will continue through Nov. 1 and resume in spring 2025.
The Washington Department of Transportation originally planned to work seven days per week beginning in June but delayed that until September. The DOT switched to 24/7 traffic restrictions after Labor Day, and even though the summer travel season is over, there have been delays at the bridge on weekends.
The DOT has set up message boards in the westbound lanes from Adams Road south of Quincy to the bridge, and for about 10 miles from the bridge in the eastbound lanes. The sign at Adams Road gives drivers an estimate of any delays while there’s still an opportunity to take an alternate route.
Department of Transportation officials are suggesting alternate routes, over Blewett Pass to Wenatchee, then state Route 28 to Quincy. The second major alternative route is Interstate 82 from Yakima through Tri-Cities, then U.S. Highway 395 to Ritzville.
The DOT also had tips for drivers who decide to use the bridge. People should travel earlier or later in the day to avoid peak travel times, especially eastbound on Friday and westbound on Sunday. Drivers should fill the gas tank and bring along some extra water. People who don’t know the area should stay on the I-90, since GPS apps may have outdated information and lead travelers down some sketchy roads.
The speed limit on the bridge is 40 miles per hour and loads are restricted to nine feet in width. Washington State Patrol troopers are working each end of the bridge to enforce restrictions.
Crews are still working on Road G.7 Northwest, south of Quincy, and Road H Southeast, south of the Mardon Resort. Road G.7 NW is being paved, and Road H SW is being repaved.
Road G.7 NW is closed to through traffic and drivers on Road H SW can expect delays.
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