City of Wenatchee Takes Next Step in Realizing Confluence Parkway Project
The City of Wenatchee has approved a term sheet with the federal Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the Confluence Parkway Project.
The agreement cements the reimbursement of costs the City incurs with the design and construction of the massive build - the largest in the city's history.
The project has a total price tag of roughly $177 million, with $92 million provided by an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program grant that the city was awarded in 2021.
"When we applied for the money, they (USDOT) looked at transportation studies and what we think it might look like, as well as the concept and the different other studies that we'd done," said the City's executive services director Laura Gloria. "But this term sheet really codifies that into saying 'here's when we're going to do it and here's the time it's going to take and here's how we're going to reach all of the scope budget milestones'. All of that makes up the discussions that have been happening over the last eighteen months."
Gloria called the process to reach the term sheet a "heavy lift" for the City, and adds that there are many layers to its language.
"There are a lot of agencies that are involved with the term sheet, from the federal highway division, WASH-DOT (Washington State Department of Transportation), and the U.S. Department of Transportation. So it's not just a local term sheet. It goes through various departments and agencies. So there were multiple levels or reviews and questions verifying what the City's plan is and ensuring that we can deliver what we say we can deliver."
The City has already retained the services of consulting firm Jacobs Solutions of Dallas, Texas to assist in overseeing the project's many phases from pre-construction to finished product.
Currently, the City is advertising at a national level to find a contractor who will both design and build the four stages of Confluence Parkway.
On July 7, the City plans to select several finalists from those who apply. Then in September, those finalists will pitch their proposals to the City, who will then make a final selection for a contractor to realize the project, which is slated to break ground in 2025.
The project features a 2.5-mile bypass at the north end of Wenatchee, which includes the construction of a new vehicle bridge over the Wenatchee River that will connect with U.S. Highways 2 & 97.
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