SULTAN — Do you have plans to visit Oktoberfest in Leavenworth or perhaps the holiday festivities in the Bavarian themed city? Or are you a skier with plans to enjoy the Stevens Pass ski resort this winter?
Consider this is a heads up. The Washington State Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) is going to start on a sequence of U.S. 2 safety related projects from Monroe to Gold Bar on Monday, October 5th that will extend well into next year.
The biggest project will be installing a new roundabout at Old Owen Road, replacing that busy traffic signal just west of Sultan. On Sundays, particularly during the summer, that intersection suffers extended backups on westbound U.S. 2.
Starting Monday, construction on a new bypass road will begin that will route traffic around the roundabout installation. That stretch of roadway is planned to have nightly closures while the bypass is being built from Sunday night through early Friday next week.
WSDOT Communications Consultant Elizabeth Mount said, “They’re going to use a temporary signal. It’s going to feel very similar to how it is right now during the day. The biggest impact is going to westbound U.S. 2. The left-hand turn lane onto Fern Bluff is going to close, and Fern Bluff Road will have a long-term closure right there at the intersection.” A detour around that closure will be in place.
Mount added, “That’s going to help divert traffic around the construction zone so they don’t have to fully close the road.”
The roundabout installation is planned to be completed by the end of February 2027. Mount said, “One of the great things about roundabouts is people aren’t having to stop for a light. This roundabout is going to help improve traffic flow through that intersection.”
But wait! There’s more! WSDOT also plans to install other safety elements such as change some no-passing zones on the highway and install center-lane rumble strips. Head-on crashes occur all too often on that poorly lit highway. Mount said, “That will help with people kind of crossing that center line.”
Other safety projects will include new signage, new pedestrian crossings, and new sidewalks. Expect daytime and nighttime closures along the highway from Monroe to Gold Bar throughout the entire project.
U.S. 2 from Monroe to Gold Bar is one of the state’s most dangerous highways. The goal of WSDOT is to make this stretch of the highway safer and be more efficient, especially on those busy weekends. If you’re planning to use the highway this fall and well into 2027, be prepared for potential delays.
