Driving Through Leavenworth? Expect Delays

Drivers traveling in the Leavenworth area will likely experience construction delays for the remainder of this summer.

Starting next week, there will be a total of three projects happening in the area, including two that will begin on Monday (August 7).

Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson Lauren Loebsack says if you're traveling through the Bavarian Village it won't matter where you're heading - you should plan to be delayed.

"It's kind of tough to say if you'll need to wait ten minutes or twenty minutes, just understand that there'll be construction anywhere you go."

The DOT has a project that started on July 17 to replace guardrail on U.S. Highway 2 (U.S. 2) through Tumwater Canyon that will be continuing.

Further east, Link Transit will have contractors building a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 2 and Icicle Road, while Chelan County will have a 1.5-mile pavement repair project on a section of the Chumstick Highway.

Loebsack says that project will force commercial traffic and cross-state commuters to deal with the other two construction zones.

"It's important to note that Chumstick Highway is a rural county road that is not appropriate for freight. So if you don't have business or live out that way, stick to U.S. 2 and add the time to your travels to make your way through those other two construction zones."

Loebsack says some of the work zones will feature intermittent flagger-controlled traffic and the use of portable signals.

Work on the DOT's guardrail replacement project and Chelan County's Chumstick detail will take place Monday through Thursday, while Link Transit's roundabout project will see work occurring Monday through Friday.

Both projects on U.S. Highway 2 are slated for completion by September 30, while the Chumstick project is scheduled to wrap up by mid-September.