Public Works

Wenatchee Heights Road Phase II

Wenatchee Heights Road Phase II

(A detour route will be in place during construction of the Wenatchee Heights Road Phase II road improvement project. The speed limit will be 25 mph.)

Project Updates

Construction is completed.

 

 

History

In 2020, Chelan County Public Works completed a road improvement project on the lower portion of Wenatchee Heights Road near Wenatchee. The project rehabilitated a 1.32-mile stretch of the roadway, from Squilchuck Road to about 1,000 feet north of Wheeler Hill Road. The primary purpose of the project was to rehabilitate the roadway while making several safety improvements, such as the replacement of guardrail.

The second phase of the Wenatchee Heights Road Project is set to begin in March 2023. The project will begin where the first phase ended and will end at milepost 2.10, or at Edgemont Drive. Upon completion, Wenatchee Heights Road, a road used by not only homeowners but also orchardists and fruit haulers, will have just over two miles of rehabilitated roadway.

 

Project Description & Benefits

This second phase of the project will rehabilitate an additional 0.78 miles of the road, beginning from milepost 1.32 (near Wheeler Hill Road) to milepost 2.10, using a technique called full-depth reclamation, or FDR. Please see the Project Plans here.

FDR is a pavement rehabilitation technique in which the asphalt pavement and a portion of the underlying materials are uniformly pulverized and blended together, resulting in a new stabilized base course. Then a mat of asphalt is placed on top. Chelan County Public Works has used FDR successfully in road preservation projects, including on the first phase of the project.

When completed, the roadway will meet current standards. Rehabilitation will improve the ride of the road by improving roadway geometrics, drainage conveyance and clear zone and upgrading guardrail to current standards. The project also includes minor improvements to the road’s intersections with Wheeler, Jim Smith and Edgemont roads. 

 

Construction Schedule

The project will begin on April 8. Construction will take 25 working days, with completion planned for early May 2024.

 

Travel Impacts

During construction, most of the work zone will be closed and a detour will be used via Wheeler Hill Road. When heading down Wenatchee Heights Road, motorists should plan for seeing one way flagger control and pilot car for the section between Wheeler Hill and Edgemont Drive. The pilot car will lead motorists through the work zone to Wheeler Hill Road, where the detour will begin. The posted speed on within the construction limits will be temporarily reduced to 25 mph during construction. When headed up Wenatchee Heights Road, motorists should plan to see the flagger control at the intersection of Wheeler Hill Road and Wenatchee Heights.

The closure in the work zone will allow for the contractor to complete the work in 25 working days. Motorists should plan for minor delays. Please see the detour route above.

 

Funding

This project is funded primarily by a $1.37 million state grant from the Rural Arterial Program. Some county road funds also will be used.

 

Receive Project Updates

To receive project updates directly, sign up for county news updates online. Or follow along on the Public Works Facebook page.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Most of the project area will be closed to allow the contractor to work. A combination of a pilot car and a detour will be in place. The detour around the project area will be via Wheeler Hill Road. During construction within the construction limits will be reduced to 25 mph. Motorists are asked to plan for the temporary speed limit reduction or make plans to use other routes.

No. While the first phase of the project included some road widening, the second phase does not.

On a Chelan County road, approved mailbox locations consist of two elements: the mailbox and the post the mailbox is attached to. Mailboxes and posts that are within the road clearzone and do not meet crash-safety standards will need to be replaced or relocated outside the clearzone.

If your mailbox is in the construction area of a road improvement project, the county will install a new post that meets crash-safety standards and relocate your mailbox to the new post as long as your current mailbox meets safety standards, too. If your mailbox does not meet safety standards, you will need to attach an approved mailbox to the new post. See Mailbox Type 1 and Mailbox Type 2 for approved mailbox types.

With any county road project, we contact emergency responders, the school district, the post office and service providers such as your residential garbage collector to alert them to upcoming traffic impacts. Any changes in services will be as directed by the post office or WM.

Posted: 01/09/2024 11:46 AM
Last Updated: 06/05/2024 04:05 PM

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