Paving Project Along Stevens Pass To Slow Traffic Several More Weeks

A major paving project on U.S. 2 over Stevens Pass is going to continue to cause backups for several more weeks, 

The state Department of Transportation is working on a nine-mile stretch of the roadway, which will bring more lane reductions and reduced speed zones. 

Department Spokesperson Lauren Loebsack says highways like U.S. 2 that get lots of truck traffic are in constant need of repair. 

"It gets hammered," said Loebsack. "We do a lot of work going in there to do even just pot holes and crack seals and wheel rut repairs to help limp it along between pavers. But these pavers come through on these sections of these freight routes on a yearly basis." 

Loebsack says the work being done on U.S. 2 is a major project that also includes guard rail repairs. 

The work will continue on Fridays in order to complete the project before it gets too cold.  

"Definitely we are nearing the end of our construction window in the higher altitudes," Loebsack said. "For the mountain passes we are trying to get our projects done. We have a few more weeks before its too cold and we will be working up there through that time."

WSDOT will often curtail work on Fridays in order to ease the flow of traffic during busy weekend travel between the east and west side of the Cascades. 

Loebsack says there'll be one more project on U.S. 2 before winter completely sets in. It’ll be a paving project between the Big Y and Wenatchee that’ll mostly be performed in the overnight hours.