Summer work on damaged Highway 12 overpass will snarl Pasco commuters
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Repair work to begin on the U.S. 12 and SR 124 interchange overpass.
- Work will shift eastbound U.S. 12 onto a temporary median crossover and reduce lanes.
- Granite Construction won the roughly $1.7 million contract to repair the bridge.
Thousands of Tri-City area drivers could run into construction on their commutes when overpass repairs near the Snake River bridge start next week.
Work starts Monday to repair damage to the Highway 12 and Highway 124 interchange overpass bridge near Burbank.
The damaged interchange bridge is just west of the Highway 12 bridge over the Snake River, which means delays could snarl traffic into and out of the Tri-Cities.
The bridge into the Tri-Cities carries up to 19,000 vehicles per day, according to the city of Pasco.
The work is estimated to continue through the end of August.
The bridge needs emergency repairs after it was damaged by an over-height vehicle, according to the Washington Department of Transportation.
A semi driver hauling an excavator was allegedly driving under the influence when he hit the overpass on Labor Day weekend 2024, damaging the concrete and a sign.
While the damage qualified for emergency repairs, the overpass was not in imminent danger, WSDOT said at the time.
The work will impact traffic coming from Burbank, Wallula Gap, Walla Walla and other areas of Eastern Washington into the Tri-Cities.
Granite Construction Company, of Yakima, won the contract for the repairs with a bid of about $1.7 million.
Eastbound Highway 12 will be shifted onto a temporary median crossover as WSDOT and contractor crews work to remove and replace damaged bridge railing, bridge girders and a portion of the bridge deck.
Traffic will be moved to single-lane with reduced speed limits through work zones. Lanes will also be narrowed on Highway 124 across the bridge.
Access to all affected roads will remain open throughout construction and work periods.