Traffic detour begins for $8M Richland Highway 240 project near Hanford
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Highway 240 will close May 28–June 2 for railroad and road upgrades.
- Detour routes will direct drivers around the construction site.
- Projects include new crossing materials, rail parts and widened road features.
A section of Highway 240 in Richland used by thousands of Hanford commuters will close for four days starting Thursday..
The area between Stevens Drive and Kingsgate Way will shut down between noon on May 29 through 6 a.m. Monday, June 2.
The detour will take motorists on a detour through the Horn Rapids industrial area via Kingsgate Way, Battelle Boulevard and Stevens Drive.
The timing minimizes disruptions to Hanford schedules by concentrating work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday — non-work hours for the Department of Energy’s Hanford nuclear site.
The closure will accommodate a Port of Benton project to rebuild the spot where the Southern Connection railroad crosses the highway near Stevens Drive.
The port operates the railroad, which is used by both BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad to serve industrial customers in north Richland.
The railroad crossing project will replace the rubberized crossing with concrete panes and includes new pavement, new railroad track, ties, signal cabinets, gate mechanisms and crossing lights.
While the port is upgrading the crossing, the Washington Department of Transportation is widening the highway between Stevens Drive and Hagen Road. The $8 million project began this spring.
The WSDOT project includes building sound wall along Moon River RV Resort along with widening the roadway around Hagen and updating the intersection with traffic signals, pedestrian crossings and lights.
The state work required some nighttime closures and is expected to wrap up in June. Granite Construction is the contractor for the Richland corridor improvement project.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.