Tuning up US 2

It has been nearly 20 years since its last extensive upgrade, and now a 17-mile stretch of US 2 between Gold Bar and Skykomish is due for a facelift.

Cracks, ruts and potholes litter the major east-west corridor, creating a rough and bumpy drive for the 6,600 vehicles using the road each day. That will change beginning Monday, July 10, when the Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor Central Washington Asphalt, Inc. start resurfacing three sections of the highway.

“We will add a protective layer on two sections of US 2 near Gold Bar and repave a third section near Skykomish,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Kevin Waligorski. “This work will cause some backups, so we’re asking drivers to be patient for the next few months.”

Travelers should plan for delays of at least 30 minutes, reduced lanes and alternating traffic during construction of the $4.4 million project. Work is scheduled to wrap up this fall.

Plan for mountain pass delays
The work on US 2 is just one of several construction projects that will cause delays for drivers heading over the Cascades mountain passes this summer:
• On Interstate 90, crews are repairing concrete and bridge decks between North Bend and Ellensburg. Drivers should plan for delays through the construction zone.
• On State Route 410, crews continue to alternate traffic during emergency rock slope repair near Mount Rainier.

Know before you go
• For more information on scheduled lane reductions and detours, visit the King County construction page.
• Check the Seattle traffic website for travel times and alerts.