Date:  Thursday, October 16, 2008

Contact: North Central Region Communications Manager Jeff Adamson, Wenatchee,
Office (509) 667-2815, Cell. (509) 669-8778 E-mail: adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov
Project Engineer, Eric Pierson, (509) 667-2870 E-mail: piersoe@wsdot.wa.gov

WENATCHEE – Motorists will be using the new US 2/97 interchange at Peshastin beginning this weekend, six months ahead of schedule. The original plan called for opening the interchange next spring, but traffic will be shifted onto the new interchange between Friday night and Sunday.

Beginning Friday morning, electrical work will mean some single lane closures for Westbound US 2 traffic as crews power up the overhead sign bridges near the Shell Station. Drivers should also watch for flaggers controlling traffic, while the temporary signal at the US 2/97 intersection is off line as the new interchange illumination is hooked into the new electrical system.

At 9 p.m. on Friday night, traffic cones and signs will begin going up before the 10 p.m. closure of the entire interchange for about a half hour while crews remove the temporary traffic signal and re-stripe the roadways. Traffic will be shifted off the new US 2 overpass and onto the new on and off ramps. Washington State Patrol Troopers will be directing traffic at the bottom of the ramps to get traffic moving as quickly as possible.

Traffic will remain routed on the ramps through Saturday while crews do some finish work on the US 2 overpass bridges. On Sunday, traffic will begin using the entire new interchange and the traffic signal and flaggers will be gone. The only restriction remaining will be for westbound US 2 traffic which will be reduced to one lane at the east end of the interchange until next Wednesday while crews finish drainage work, illumination and guardrail installation.

Through the weekend, the 35 mph construction speed limit will be extended about a quarter mile further south on the US 97 leg. The State Patrol will be monitoring traffic and work zone speed compliance all weekend.

This project builds a new diamond interchange where the Stevens (US 2) and Blewett (US 97) Pass highways intersect between Cashmere and Leavenworth in Chelan County. This $21.6 million 2003 gas tax project addresses safety deficiencies identified in the 2002 US 2/97 Safety Corridor Study.

Work began April 7th. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for November 19th. Finish work, including seeding and plantings to final pavement adjustments won’t be done until weather permits, next spring. Visit the project web site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/US2/97_PeshastinEast_IC



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