Public Works
Knowles Road
Project News
POSTED NOV. 7, 2022: The project should wrap up this week. Most of the work during this time will be off the road (seeding, fencing, clean up, etc.). However, there is still some sidewalk to be poured. The contractor is aiming to do that on Tuesday, Nov. 8 (weather permitting). When sidewalk is being poured, motorists will experience minor delays, including one-lane, flagger-controlled traffic.
History
The Knowles Road improvement project is an important project for Sunnyslope, one of the fastest growing residential areas near Wenatchee. At this time, Knowles Road does not sufficiently serve this rapidly developing area; the roadway is narrow and lacks pedestrian and bike facilities. Improvements also are needed to correct ongoing drainage issues that damage the road’s surface and shoulders.
Not only does Knowles Road not serve current needs, but it also does not serve future needs. The land use forecast for the Sunnyslope area, served by Knowles Road, projects that use will double in the next 20 years, creating new travel demands to the already deficient route. The community needs this project, which will be done in two phases, to improve safety on the existing narrow roadway and to provide alternate means of commuting to work or nearby Sunnyslope Elementary School.
- Video of Nov. 4, 2021, open house
- Video of Nov. 4, 2021, open house (versión en español)
- Nov. 4 Virtual Open House Presentation (PDF)
- Photo Page
- Vicinity Map
- Feb. 11, 2021, Virtual Open House Presentation (PDF)
- Video of Feb. 11, 2021, open house
Project Description & Benefits
The section of Knowles Road from School Street to American Fruit Road will be rebuilt first by establishing a consistent, 32-foot road width (11-foot lanes and 5-foot shoulders) and improving the road structure for a smoother ride and a shared multi-use shoulder. The American Fruit Road and Knowles Road intersection also will be improved for enhanced sight distance and maneuverability.
Curb and gutter, along with 5-foot wide sidewalk on the west side of Knowles Road, also will be constructed. Additional stormwater facilities will be installed where new curb and gutter is proposed, correcting drainage issues and preventing further damage to the roadway surface and shoulders. When completed, the Knowles project will improve roadway safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
During the project, Chelan PUD also is planning to replace about 1,400 feet of existing 4-inch steel water main with about 2,200 feet of new 8-inch ductile iron main. The timing of the Knowles Road project is well suited for replacement of the steel water main, which is at the end of its useful life. The new, larger main will increase capacity and the reliability of the water system in the area. The project also includes installing four new fire hydrants and replacing six customer connections.
Construction Schedule
The contractor on this project is J&K Earthworks of Rock Island. Construction is expected to take 155 working days, beginning March 7 and ending in early October. The approximate timeline is as follows:
March 7 to April 11: School Street closure, from Easy Street to Knowles Road, for sewer line installation.
April 11 to May 13: Construction moves to Knowles Road. The roadway will be at one lane, with flaggers directing traffic. Plan for minor traffic delays. The contractor will be pulverizing the roadway between School Street and American Fruit Road.
May 16 to August 16: Knowles Road will be closed and a detour in place for the installation of stormwater, sewer and water mains. Gabions and subgrade work also will be done.
May 17: The intersection of Knowles and American Fruit roads will be closed 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. so Chelan PUD can mobilize a crane to replace a utility pole. Motorists should use alternate routes during these hours. Residents living on north Knowles Road will need to use West Rolling Hills Lane to Rolling Hills Lane to Burch Mountain Road for the half-day closure.
Mid-August to mid-October: Knowles Road will be at one lane, with flaggers directing traffic. Plan for traffic delays. Work will include sidewalk installation, driveway access work, and addition of crushed rock and paving.
During construction, much of the time the roadway in the project area will be at one lane, with flaggers directing traffic. The road will be open to local traffic only. Homeowners and their visitors, including delivery and emergency services, will be able to access properties. However, at times, the following traffic impacts will occur (view links to see traffic detours):
School Street will require a one-month detour and night work at its intersections with Easy Street and Knowles Road. A sewer line installation will need to be completed before the irrigation turns on in the spring. No parking will be allowed on the street in the work area during this work. We will have a location dedicated to overflow parking for residents. (This work is now completed.)
The Knowles Road work will begin in mid-April. A 60-working day road closure in the project area (from School Street to American Fruit Road) is required because of the limited work area available for installing a sewer line. That closure begins approximately May 16. In addition, Chelan PUD will close the intersection of Knowles Road and American Fruit Road from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on May 17. See above.
We will contact the Wenatchee School District, public transit, the post office and Waste Management to alert them to the start of the project when we have a starting date.
Funding
The $3.7 million construction project has been awarded a nearly $1.4 million grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board’s Urban Arterial Program. It will also be paid for with local county road funds, Chelan County Stormwater Utility funds and dollars obtained through a Developer’s Voluntary Mitigation Agreement.
On Dec. 27, Chelan County commissioners awarded a $3,743,615 construction contract to J&K Earthworks of Rock Island.
Receive Project Updates
As we have updates on the project we will send them out on the project’s listserv. Sign up for emailed updates online, or email us at public.works@co.chelan.wa.us.
Questions?
Email us at public.works@co.chelan.wa.us, or call Chelan County Public Works at 667-6415.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first section of Knowles Road to be improved is from School Street to American Fruit Road and includes the American Fruit and Knowles roads intersection as well as the School Street and Knowles Road intersection. The section of improvements, which is not yet funded and does not have a start date, will be above American Fruit Road.
Access to your property will be maintained throughout the project. With construction, driveways along the project area will be tied into the new road. When this happens, homeowners will be notified by the contractor of any impacts. A detour may be considered during construction for thru-traffic.
A detention pond will be constructed in the natural drainageway across the road from the northern half of the cemetery. It is designed to treat stormwater runoff from the roadway. In addition to the roadway, it has a flood control zone element and has been sized to mitigate water runoff from the Sunnyslope Basin.
This project is the first of two road improvement projects on Knowles Road. When both projects are complete there will be a consistent roadway width and will tie into the upper section of Knowles Road with sidewalk (Sunny Meadows Loop vicinity). The improvement project above American Fruit Road, isn’t currently funded.
Construction begins March 1, 2022, on a section of School Street from Easy Street to Knowles Road. See the construction schedule for more details.
If mailboxes are within the clear zone (10 feet from the white fog line on the side of the paved road), they will be replaced. The same mailbox will be reused but placed on a new crashworthy stand that is safe for motorists.
During construction, water outages will be required for connections of the new main to the existing main, and for connecting customer service lines from existing to new meter chambers. Affected customers will be notified by Chelan PUD of scheduled outages 24 to 48 hours in advance of when the outage will occur.
In partnership with Chelan County, Chelan PUD is planning to replace about 1,400 feet of existing 4-inch steel water main with about 2,200 feet of new 8-inch ductile iron main. The timing of the project is well suited for replacement of the steel water main, which is at the end of its useful life. The new 8-inch main will increase capacity and reliability of the water system in the area. The project also includes installing four new fire hydrants and replacing six customer connections.
During construction, water outages will be required for connections of the new main to the existing main and for connecting customer service lines from existing to new meter chambers. Affected customers will be notified of scheduled outages 24 to 48-hours in advance of when the outage will occur. For questions about the water main replacement, contact Chelan PUD.
Posted: 01/28/2021 09:26 AM
Last Updated: 11/07/2022 08:19 AM