WSDOT removing cliffside rock from SR 17 north of Soap Lake
Motorists encounter alternating one-lane traffic near mile post 77.
SOAP LAKE — Motorists along State Route 17 on Saturday encountered alternating, one-lane traffic about one mile north of Soap Lake where workers were removing dangerous rock from an adjacent roadside cliff, reported the Washington State Department of Transportation.
WSDOT’s North Central Regional office announced the project Friday evening and crews were engaged in the work Saturday morning.
“Travelers will encounter flaggers and alternating, one-lane traffic, as well as slowdowns and delays. There's no estimated time or date for reopening,” the department said in an online post.
Adding to the congestion, the work started on the same weekend as the state’s 2026 lowland lakes fishing opener, which traditionally attracts scores of trout anglers driving to the Sun Lakes area just a few miles to the north.
The work also followed a $7.8 million WSDOT project in 2024 that involved rock removal, stabilization and protection measures — including draping metal nettings — on eight slopes along the highway between Soap Lake and Lake Lenore. The aim is to keep the roadway clear of rockfall which poses a danger to drivers and damage to the road surface.
