Post-Labor Day travelers, be advised: a suite of highway construction projects in the Yakima Valley is about to kick into gear, potentially complicating commutes and travel plans. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), in conjunction with various contractors, is slated to initiate major roadwork, with activities ranging from the creation of a new roundabout to repaving efforts and embankment repairs on prominent routes.
The action centers on US 97 at Lateral A in Wapato, where Tuesday, September 2, marks the beginning of construction for a roundabout designed to improve safety in partnership with the Yakama Nation, as reported by the WSDOT. The new traffic feature—the third of its kind along this corridor—will reduce US 97 to one lane in each direction around the clock. Northbound drivers will not be able to make the usual left turn onto Lateral A during construction, which will pause for the winter and resume in spring 2026, with completion targeted for summer 2026.
As for State Route 821, East Selah is witnessing an upgrade between Firing Center Road and Pomona View Mobile Park, where WSDOT crews are repaving, mending bridges, and overhauling guardrails. This particular project corners the workweek, relegating its traffic impacts to Monday through Friday. Travelers are tipped off to expect alternating single-lane traffic, as per the WSDOT. But for those traveling over Interstate 82 on Firing Center Road, the proximity of the 76 Gas Station during the closures of the full ramp and bridge might require advanced notice for when exactly they can refuel or reroute. Completion here is anticipated this fall.
Meanwhile, come September 8, an embankment repair mission will shutter a portion of US 12 east of White Pass along Rimrock Lake, enforcing closures between mileposts 159 and 168 as per a statement obtained by WSDOT. Detours will reroute via Tieton Reservoir Road, nudging travel times upward by an extra 20 minutes. These improvements focus on mitigating erosion, reconditioning slopes, and enhancing drainage following damage from spring runoff. This stretch of work aims for a mid-October finish line.
