North Wenatchee Roundabout Project To Open This Weekend

The round-a-bout project at US Highways 2/97 and Easy Street is wrapping up with the full intersection opening this weekend - Saturday or Sunday.

The project in North Wenatchee replaces a signalized intersection and includes access to the Apple Capital Loop trail and more space for Link Transit buses.

The opening of the round-a-bout means nine separate detours will be removed and the northbound SR 285 ramp will reopen.

Work will continue on finishing touches at the round-a-bout in the upcoming weeks with some lane closures and flagging.

That work includes striping the roadway, which will take place once the asphalt and concrete have adequately cured.

Striping work will require two or three overnight closures using the same detour. That work is likely to happen in late July, but dates have not yet been established.

The $6.4 million project is wrapping up after traffic was first detoured at the beginning of April.

The North Wenatchee round-a-bout project seems to have gone more smoothly than another high-profile project in the region.

Work to complete a round-a-bout on State Route 28 at White Trail Road is now complete, with the intersection opening this past Tuesday.

But the project was scheduled to wrap up in 45 days, weeks ahead to the North Wenatchee project.

The SR 28 project was delayed twice.

The first hold up in early May was caused by an error on the part of the contractor in pouring concrete in the wrong location. The concrete had to be ripped up and taken away.

Then, in late June, cracked concrete was discovered in three separate places along the roundabout's apron, which is the portion of its construction that encircles the center area and provides a buffer between it and the roadway.

That concrete had to be replaced before the project could continue.

Round-a-bouts have become a favored choice of the state in making less expensive improvements to roadways with moderate levels of traffic.