Eastmont Extension  -  Project Summary

Introduction
The Eastmont Extension project is Douglas County’s portion of Alternative 3B as defined in the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) SR 28 (Sunset Highway) Eastside Corridor Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The EIS defines Alternative 3B as the Preferred Alternative and has paved the way for the funding, design, and construction of the seven stages of this regionally significant transportation improvement project.  Stage 1, which includes work to be completed by both Douglas County and WSDOT, is the only Stage funded thus far and is currently in the design phase.  The County’s portion of Stage 1 is identified as the Eastmont Extension project.  The Eastmont Extension project has been partitioned into four contracts that will be awarded for construction over the course of three years, from 2009 to 2011. 

35th Street NW 38th Street NW Improvements
The first contract is planned to be awarded in 2009 and will include reconstruction or 35th Street Northwest from NW Cascade Ave to SR 28 and to 38th Street NW from Cascade Avenue NW to SR 2/97. The roadways will be constructed to Douglas County Urban Collector standards with curb, gutter, and sidewalk on both sides of the roadway. A minimum of 60 feet of right-of-way will be required to accommodate a curb-to-curb roadway width of 44 feet. More Information      Bid Comparison

Canyon B Bridge
The second contract is also planned to be awarded in 2009 and will include the construction of a 597-foot bridge across Canyon B at the location of the future extension of Eastmont Avenue. The bridge will consist of a 250-foot concrete arch with five equal spans of WSDOT standard W58G girders. Approaches to the arch consist of 112-foot and 100-foot girder spans on the north, and 100-foot and 35-foot girder spans on the south. A seven girder system with a 9-inch concrete deck will provide a 50-foot roadway cross section. A 6-foot pedestrian sidewalk will be included on the east side of the bridge and concrete barriers with railing will be constructed on both sides of the bridge. The bridge is anticipated to take two years to complete. Future Bridge Rendering      Bid Comparisons       Geotechnical and Geophysical Survey Report

31st Street Drainage
The third contract is planned to be awarded in 2010 and will include installation of a large (72-inch diameter) stormwater pipeline along 31st Street from the mouth of Canyon B to the Columbia River. The project will also include improvements to other small stormwater facilities associated with later phases of the Eastmont Extension project and to sedimentation control systems in Canyon B. Phase 1 Bid Comparisons

Eastmont Extension
The fourth and final contract to be let by Douglas County is planned to be advertised for construction in 2012 and will include construction of a new alignment that will extend Eastmont Avenue from Badger Mountain Road to the intersection of SR 28 and SR 2/97. The roadway will be constructed to Urban Arterial road standards with a 50-foot wide traveled way and curb and gutter on both sides of the roadway. Sidewalk will be constructed along the eastern side of the roadway. The western side of the roadway will have long runs of guardrail and retaining walls with color and finish selected to match the existing wall along Eastmont Avenue to the south. The new road north of the bridge will include a climbing lane for southbound traffic. Intersections along the alignment will be designed with left turn lanes to maintain efficient traffic flow and maximize vehicle capacity. Project Overview

Benefits
Completion of Stage 1 of the SR 28 (Sunset Highway) Eastside Corridor project will benefit the traveling public in a number of ways. A completed Eastmont Extension will provide an additional north-south arterial connecting the northern and southern ends of the Wenatchee valley. This will increase transportation capacities throughout the Wenatchee valley by pulling vehicles off of existing congested roadways. The new roadway will improve access to the Fancher Heights area. This will give the traveling public an alternate route to their homes and provide emergency services with two distinct routes to the area. Finally, as envisioned by the SR 28 Eastside Corridor project, completion of the arterial will reduce traffic loads on SR 28. This will facilitate construction of Stages 2 through 8 of the Eastside Corridor project by reducing traffic loads on the highway and providing better detour opportunities.