$71.5 million SR28 project on track to reshape East Wenatchee corridor by 2028

WENATCHEE — The Washington State Department of Transportation says its long-planned State Route 28 East Wenatchee Corridor Improvement Project remains on track for construction in 2028, with design, permitting, and right-of-way acquisition now entering their final phases.

Assistant Project Engineer Ellen Guisfredi briefed the Wenatchee City Council last week on the $71.5 million project, which will rebuild nearly two miles of Sunset Highway between 9th Street and Hadley Street. The redesign converts the corridor to four travel lanes separated by a non-mountable median, adds sidewalks and bike-accommodating shoulders, and replaces four key intersections with multi-lane roundabouts at Valley Mall Parkway, 15th, 19th and 23rd streets.

“This project is intended to improve mobility and safety through East Wenatchee,” Guisfredi said. The corridor’s posted speed will drop from 40 mph to 35 mph, reflecting its new role as a shared route for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

Property impacts and schedule

WSDOT is in the midst of property acquisition along the route. Guisfredi said the project will affect about 130 parcels, ranging from temporary construction easements to full takes. Eight households have already been relocated, and structure demolitions are expected to begin this fall.

The department plans to complete all right-of-way purchases by 2027, with utility relocations starting as early as 2026. Construction would follow in 2028, lasting roughly two years.

The project also includes a fish-passage replacement at Sand Canyon Creek and a new paved connection to the Apple Capital Loop Trail at Valley Mall Parkway, where a well-used informal path already reaches the trail.

Regional coordination and shared corridor planning

Although the project lies entirely within Douglas County, WSDOT continues to coordinate with the City of Wenatchee because the East Wenatchee Corridor is a key counterpart to the city’s own Confluence Parkway project across the Columbia River. Both efforts stem from the same decades-long north–south mobility studies and are designed to relieve congestion on the region’s existing river crossings.

Wenatchee’s local match commitment under its Infrastructure for Multi-Modal and Public Roadway Access (IMPRA) grant also ties the city financially to improvements in the wider transportation network, including SR 28.

Mayor Mike Poirier and councilmembers thanked WSDOT staff for the update, noting that the parallel projects together will improve freight movement, commuter flow, and overall safety throughout the Wenatchee Valley once both corridors are complete.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media