One roundabout completed, another starting by month’s end
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 day, 2 hours AGO
One road project is already completed – or will be sometime Friday. Nat Washington Way and SR 282 were closed while permanent lights were installed at the roundabout at the intersection.
COURTESY PHOTO/R. HANS MILLER
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. | April 10, 2026 3:20 AM
EPHRATA — The last phase of construction at the roundabout at Nat Washington Way and state Route 282 should be done today, at least Grant County’s portion of it.
“If not Friday morning, then Friday afternoon,” said Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines on Thursday.
The roundabout was closed for the week so crews could replace the temporary lights installed in fall 2025 with new permanent poles and lights. It was built as part of the construction of the new Grant County Jail, which is scheduled to open this summer.
The actual roundabout was built last fall, but delivery of the lights was delayed, Gaines said. Detour signs installed by the county remained in place over the winter, although they were covered. But they’re no longer needed.
“After this, the detour signs come down, (with the intersection) never to be shut down again, at least not by us,” Gaines said.
While one roundabout project is completed, another one is starting later this month in Othello.
The intersection of West Cunningham Road and state Route 17 was scheduled to get a roundabout in 2025, but it was pushed back due to Washington Department of Transportation budget constraints. But it’s definitely on the agenda for 2026.
“The (start) date is April 27, with a slight chance of starting the Thursday or Friday prior,” said Sebastian Moraga, DOT north central region communications consultant, in an earlier interview.
Sections of West Cunningham – which is also Othello’s Main Street – will be closed during construction, but SR 17 will remain open with traffic controls. Most of the work will occur during the day on weekdays, according to a release from the city of Othello.
It’s expected to open by mid-July.
The configuration of SR 17 will remain unchanged, with one lane in each direction. The center island will have a higher curb and a mound of rock in the center.
Ephrata residents should be prepared for traffic delays due to crack-sealing projects on residential streets throughout town. The work started this week and is scheduled to be completed by mid-May. Following that, some city streets will get a seal coat, which is a protective layer of rock and asphalt over existing pavement. The seal-coat locations and schedule will be announced.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
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One roundabout completed, another starting by month’s end
EPHRATA — The last phase of construction at the roundabout at Nat Washington Way and State Route 282 should be done today, at least Grant County’s portion of it. “If not Friday morning, then Friday afternoon,” said Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines Thursday. The roundabout was closed for the week so crews could replace the temporary lights installed in fall 2025 with new permanent poles and lights. It was built as part of the construction of the new Grant County Jail, which is scheduled to open this summer. The actual roundabout was built last fall, but delivery of the lights was delayed, Gaines said. Detour signs installed by the county remained in place over the winter, although they were covered. But they’re no longer needed.
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