Highway 195 work to start

Construction plans for five bridge projects on Highway 195 between Steptoe and Plaza were reported March 22 by Al Gilson, spokesman for the Eastern Washington Department of Transportation District.

He noted the repair projects could add as much as 20 minutes of travel time on the highway with work expected to start Monday and continue through mid-August.

Bridge repair projects started March 26 and passing lane work will start in late April. The bridge projects are expected to wrap up in mid-July.

N.A. Degerstrom was the successful contractor for both of the construction projects. Their bids were $4.07 million for the passing lanes and $2.075 million for the bridge work.

Overall project cost for the bridge work is $3.1 million, and for the passing lanes will be $4.2 million.

Beginning Monday, March 26, Degerstrom crews started setting up temporary traffic signal systems for two bridge projects near Rosalia and one just north of Steptoe because the bridge work will be done one side at a time. The signals will direct alternating single-lane traffic. They will operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

The bridge work requires removal of the concrete driving surface, underlying pavement support and cement repaving. They will do northbound lanes first, then move over to the southbound side.

Location of the bridge jobs will be at mile 48 north of Steptoe and mile 63 south of Rosalia, where work will be done on a set of three bridges including the span across the John Wayne Trail, the span across an active railroad and Pine Creek.

Another bridge site will be at mile 65 and include the span over the long-abandoned Spokane & Inland Rail lines.

The four new passing lane projects will be at miles 55-56 in the Thorn Creek area, miles 68-69 near the Babb Road overpass, miles 69-70 south of Plaza and miles 71-72 north of Plaza.

Drivers will experience intermittent delays with flaggers and pilot cars directing single-lane, alternating traffic. The passing lane work should wrap-up in late-August.

The Legislature funded the work as part of the 2015 Connected Washington package. Gilson said the department is not recommending alternate routes to drivers, but advised drivers who time their trips for commuting to allow for the delays which they can expect when the construction work is underway.