Date:
Monday, June 12, 2006
Contact:
Al Gilson
Public Information Officer
(509)324-6015
The long-awaited improvements on SR 270 between Pullman and the Idaho border is underway.
The project will add two travel lanes and a center-turn lane to this 6.5 mile section of highway between the two college communities of Pullman and Moscow. The finished project will add traffic capacity and improve the safety on this busy stretch in Whitman County.
SR 270 is an important commute route between two university communities, Pullman (Washington State University), and Moscow (University of Idaho). Along with passenger vehicles, this route also carries a large number of heavy trucks and averages about 14,000 vehicles each day.
Construction activity is slated to get underway as of Monday, June 12th with construction sign installation preliminary tasks. Major roadwork follows. While work is underway, the highway will remain open, however travel lanes and shoulders will be narrowed and the speed limit will be reduced to 45 miles per hour. In addition, traffic will be stopped up 15 to 20 minutes for intermittent blasting operations. Motorists need to be alert for slow traffic, congestion, and possible delays during the project and plan extra time for travel in this corridor.
The project will take two construction seasons to build. Work will be suspended over the winter and resume in 2007. The job is expected to be complete in late fall 2007.
North Central Construction of Moses Lake, WA is the prime contractor on the project with a construction bid of $18.1 million. The project is funded through the 2003 “Nickel” Legislative package.
More project information is available on the internet at: http://www.pullmanmoscowhighway.com/ , plus weekly construction and traffic updates are available at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/Eastern/ConstructionUpdate/
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