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SR 28 - E End of the George Sellar Bridge


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  This project constructs a bypass for southbound SR 28 traffic to the west of the Grant Road intersection.  It also widens eastbound Grant Road to allow a triple left turn from southbound SR 28.

Current aerial view of the east end of the Senator George Sellar Bridge Interchange
View entire photo This is the current view of the east end of the Senator George Sellar bridge interchange.

This is the proposed future configuration for the interchange at the east end of the Senator George Sellar bridge
View entire photo This is the proposed new configuration for the interchange at the east end of the Senator George Sellar Bridge.

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Status

Winter 2013

Construction began Sept. 6, 2011 and should be complete by the spring of 2013.

For information on the project's progress, visit the North Central Region’s Construction Update and Travel Advisory web page.

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There was an open house on October 25, 2011 on the final design for the west end improvements, which also featured updates on the east end project, now under construction, and the Additional third EB lane project that was completed in July, 2011.

There is a collection of Sen. George Sellar Bridge Project photos posted on the WSDOT flickr site.

 

This I-1 Highway Capital-Mobility Improvement project is located on SR 28 in Douglas County.

Why is WSDOT constructing this interchange improvement?

In 1997, the comprehensive Wenatchee Area Transportation Study (WATS) identified the need for more study of the congested SR 28/285 interchange area.  Increased traffic volumes and delays were, even then, causing the Grant Road intersection to exceed its capacity.  The Washington State Department of Transportation, Douglas County and the City of East Wenatchee sponsored the SR 28/285 Interchange Area Improvement Study to evaluate the community’s transportation needs and develop a specific plan.

This study was completed in December of 2002.  The recommended long term solution is a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) at the intersection of SR 28/285 and Grant Road.  This underpass-type interchange would bring all ramps to a single signalized intersection above Sunset Highway.

In October of 2003, a value engineering team, comprised of members from WSDOT, Douglas County, the City of East Wenatchee, and the Wenatchee Valley Transportation Council reviewed the proposed design and looked for ways to refine it and reduce impacts to the local businesses and the traveling public.  The team recommended a plan that constructs a SR 28 bypass for southbound traffic now, followed by construction of a single point urban interchange at Grant Road as traffic volume increases in the future.

The End Result
This project constructs a two-lane, one-way bypass for southbound SR 28 traffic, that will start at the eastbound off-ramp from SR 285 at the Senator George Sellar Bridge and connect to SR 28 south of 3rd Street SE.  The current ramp for southbound SR 28 traffic to Grant Road will be removed and this traffic will get to Grant Road from the bypass by turning left between Fred Meyer and Top Food.  A third left turn lane from SR 28 onto Grant Road and a third eastbound lane up Grant Road will also be built. 

This is one of three projects in south Wenatchee designed to improve mobility and reduce collisions.  For more information on the three projects click here. (PDF) 

Project Benefits

  • Safety:  Lane weaving movements from the intersection of SR 28 and Grant Road will be reduced.
  • Congestion:  Congestion will be relieved by removing southbound SR 28 traffic from the Grant Road intersection and placing it onto the bypass.  Also, by adding the third left turn lane onto Grant Road, the signal can be optimized to benefit the heavier traffic movements.
  • Environment:  The alignment of this project has been developed to stay as far away from the Columbia River shoreline as feasible.  Walls will be used to minimize impacts to native vegetation and sensitive areas.  Permanent storm water detention and treatment facilities will be constructed to blend with the natural topography.

What is the project timeline?
Construction began Sept. 6, 2011 and will be complete in the spring of 2013.

Financial Information

Project signage will reflect the cost of construction engineering, project bid award and sales tax.

Financial Data for PIN 202802V
Funding Source Amount ($ in thousands)
2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding) $0
2005 Gas Tax (TPA) $0
Pre-Existing Funds (PEF) $28,068
Total $28,068

This project was advertised for private contractor bids May 16, 2011. Five qualified bids were opened June 23. On July 8, Contract #8166 was awarded to KLB Construction, Inc. for $16,363,377.90, 4% over the engineering estimate.

How can I get more information?
Contact:
Kevin Waligorski Project Engineer
WSDOT North Central Region
2830 Euclid Ave
Wenatchee, WA 98807
Phone: (509) 667-2860 or toll free (888) 461-8816
E-mail: waligok@wsdot.wa.gov

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