Roadwork to close SR 243 south of Mattawa starting Monday
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 2 weeks AGO
Crews from Columbia Basin Striping add a stop line at the crosswalk on South Elm Street in Moses Lake. Like other roadwork throughout the Columbia Basin, the project to resurface downtown streets in Moses Lake is complete or wrapping up for the winter.
CHERYL SCHWEIZER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
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. | October 17, 2025 3:15 AM
MATTAWA — Drivers heading south of Mattawa can expect State Route 243 to be closed for a short stretch between Mattawa and Desert Aire, beginning Monday.
The city of Mattawa is working on upgrades to its sewer system, and Mattawa Public Works Director Juan Ledezma said the project would require upgrades to the connection between Portage Avenue and the city’s wastewater treatment facility. That requires removing and replacing pipes running under SR 243.
“A contractor for the city will close the highway to cut the asphalt, excavate, and install a section of larger pipe,” according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation. “During that time, the highway will be closed and traffic will be routed through a signed local detour. Detour routes include rural county roads, and travelers should plan for reduced speeds through the area.”
The work could take up to two weeks to complete, the press release said.
It being mid-October, most projects are wrapping up for the winter. Paving is underway on a section of Schoonover Road north of Ritzville.
Eight miles of Schoonover are being rebuilt; paving is projected to be completed by Oct. 21, said Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger. Once the paving is completed, crews will be striping the road and installing guard rails. The last day of the project is scheduled for Oct. 29.
“It looks good out there,” Yaeger said.
Crews are about to wrap up the second year of work on the Vantage Bridge, with construction continuing until the end of the month, weather permitting.
“Crews plan to reopen access across the bridge to all lanes of traffic by the end of October,” according to a WASHDOT press release.
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