SR 282/Nat WA Way roundabout construction nears completion
EPHRATA – Barring unforeseen issues, normal vehicle travel on State Route 282 at Ephrata is expected to resume on Wednesday, Sept. 3, with completion of a new roundabout at the intersection of Nat Washington Way.
Initially, the project was not expected to be finished until Sept. 12.
The news will be welcomed by virtually all motorists traveling between Ephrata and Moses Lake and local drivers trying to navigate between the new roundabout and another nearby roundabout at Dodson Road and A Street S.E.
That section of the busy highway has been closed to through traffic for several weeks to facilitate construction. A detour route has funneled traffic along Airport Street and Fifth Avenue S.E. up to Nat Washington Way at St. Rose of Lima School. From there, many drivers proceed down “hospital hill” to the A Street S.E. intersection, which abuts railroad tracks and leads to nearby Basin Street.
Traffic is particularly congested during morning and evening commuting hours, and again in the afternoon after the Ephrata Middle School resumed fall classes this past Thursday. The detour route was further revamped to mitigate traffic backups around the school.
The SR 282/Nat Washington Way intersection was already busy with shoppers visiting the nearby Ephrata Walmart store. But the $3 million roundabout project is intended to slow vehicle speeds and improve safety for future access to Grant County’s new jail under construction just south of the highway. The jail is expected to open next spring.
And traffic at the junction will likely increase in the future: a new motel is currently being built just west of Walmart, and Grant PUD is starting construction of a new service center, adjacent to the jail site, that is slated for completion in late 2027.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Grant County Central Services applauded news that the new roundabout was expected to be put into service earlier than anticipated. Central Services director Tom Gaines and Ephrata mayor Bruce Reim have previously lauded the collaboration between the county and the city, along with numerous other partners on the project. They include the Washington State Department of Transportation, Lydig Construction, Dowl Engineering, Hurst Construction, Port of Ephrata, Ephrata School District, Ephrata police, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and Washington State Patrol.
“The collaboration between all of these partners has been nothing short of outstanding and is being recognized regionally,” the social media post stated. “WSDOT has even asked for a follow-up ‘after-action’ meeting so they can use this project as a model for future third-party-engineered projects across the state.”
