Closure on State Route 26 may affect move-in traffic
The map above shows the 32-mile detour drivers will have to take on State Route 26. Eastbound traffic at Othello will turn south on SR 17 to SR 260, then east to Connell, then north on US 395 back to SR 26. Westbound traffic from Washtucna will follow the same route in reverse.
July 29, 2018
A bridge in Adams County will go under construction in the middle of August, requiring a 32-mile detour along State Route 26, a highway many WSU students from Western Washington take as they move back to Pullman for the school year.
The project will repair a concrete girder bridge in the southern part of the county on SR 26, forcing drivers to drive down through Connell on State Route 260 via State Route 17, according to a Washington State Department of Transportation news release. Another alternate route involves taking SR 17 to the north and around the detour.
The detour will last about six weeks starting in mid-August, according to the news release, about the same time as many students make the trip from the west side of Washington to Pullman for the start of the Fall semester. The release also said the construction will affect traffic for Cougar football home games.
Others affected will include farm vehicles during the fall season, including potato farmers, according to the release.
Construction should conclude in October. The work being done involves the bridge deck, which has required constant maintenance as it is deteriorating at a high rate, according to the release.
