Paving Project To Close Portion Of Wenatchee Heights Rd.

There'll be some delays for drivers in Wenatchee Heights because of a paving project starting Monday. 

The second phase of improvements on Wenatchee Heights Road between Wheeler Hill Road and Edgemont Drive will be taking place. 

Chelan County spokesperson Jill FitzSimmons says traffic will be diverted onto Wheeler Road, which is a logical detour. 

"Wheeler Hill Road intersects with Wenatchee Heights Road twice," said FitzSimons.  "And that whole section of Wenatchee Heights Road will be closed, So, that's why folks are going to have to use the detour." 

And FitzSimmons says there’s one more detail. 

"The project goes a little bit above Wheeler Hill Road, and that section above Wenatchee Heights Road will be one lane with flaggers controlling traffic," FitzSimmons said. 

The detour will likely be in place for about a month while the paving project takes place. The project is scheduled to last for 25 working days. 

The work is being fast-tracked so it will be done before cherry harvest. 

The county says the $1.37 million project is necessary to upgrade a road that serves both homeowners and cherry orchardists in the area. 

The work zone speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph in the area while the project takes place. FitzSimmons says county commissioners passed a resolution Monday lowering the speed limit. 

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 the guardrail. 

The upcoming project covers about a three-quarter mile stretch of Wenatchee Heights Road. 

Crews are using a process called full-depth reclamation, or FDR, on the project.  

With FDR, the asphalt pavement and a portion of the underlying materials are pulverized and blended together to create a new stabilized base course.  

Then, about three-quarters of an inch of asphalt is placed on top.  

Chelan County Public Works says it has used FDR successfully in road preservation projects