Chelan County Awards Bid for Totem Pole Road Upgrade

Chelan County commissioners recently awarded a $2.1 million construction bid for Phase 1 of the Totem Pole Road improvement project in Manson.

Phase 1 Scope and Timeline

READ MORE: Chelan County to Host Open House for Road Safety

LaRiviere Inc. of Rathdrum, Idaho, offered the lowest of six bids on the project. The bid is 23 percent below the Chelan County engineer's estimate.

Totem Pole Road is an improvement project that has been in the works for several years. The first phase is from South Harris Avenue to Green Avenue.

Construction starts in mid-March, and includes a new stormwater treatment system with an outfall at Lake Chelan, the addition of sidewalk and curb and gutter, and rebuilding the intersection at Green Avenue and Totem Pole Road.

Phase 1 will cost about $4.5 million. Much of the funding comes from state and federal grants. The upper portion of the project will be completed once grants are secured for that portion.

Phase 2 will cost a total of $8 million. The County has collected approximately $3 million in federal and state grants.

Safety and Accessibility Improvements

Officials say the existing Totem Pole Road ranges from 18 to 28 feet wide and has grades of up to 10%. Shoulder widenings are sporadic, and pedestrians or bicyclists face many obstacles, including vegetation, ditches, retaining walls, mailboxes, power poles, and non-traversable slopes.

When completed, the County hopes the project will provide the community with an improved roadway section, including adequate travel lane widths and safe walking and biking options. It will include new marked pedestrian crossings with new ADA-compliant signs.

Thunderstorms often overwhelm Manson's open ditch system and its culverts. With the road improvement, the poor drainage system will be improved.

While the project's top priority is increasing safety, the project also hopes to benefit the business district of Manson.

The County offered two open houses in August, 2025.