Woes For Exiting Drivers On I-90 In Moses Lake Continue, Set To Worsen Monday

The overpass woes for drivers looking to exit from Interstate-90 in Moses Lake just keep getting worse.

On Friday, the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) released a statement saying the overpass at Exit 174 for Mae Valley/Hansen Road will remain closed indefinitely as crews continue their efforts to formulate a plan to address necessary repairs to the structure.

The overpass was shut down by the DOT on Jan. 17 due to public safety concerns, after an inspection uncovered significant deterioration to the structure's concrete decking and support columns.

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The closure has forced drivers to utilize a series of turn-around detours on roads connected to adjacent exits, and has elevated safety concerns on I-90 as well, where the Washington State Patrol says scores of motorists have been performing illegal U-turns in order to access the Exit 174 ramp on the opposite side of the freeway and avoid the detour.

On top of the mounting closure days and hazard concerns, drivers in the Moses Lake area will have to endure the closure of an additional overpass on I-90 to start the week.
On Monday, Feb. 9, the DOT will also close Exit 169 at Hiawatha Valley Road for much of the day.

DOT officials say the shutdown is necessary so crews can make fixes to five sections of deterioration on the overpass's decking.

The work is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and take only one day to complete, although it is possible more time will be required to complete the repairs.

The DOT says there's still no estimated timeframe for the reopening of Exit 174 at Mae Valley/Hansen Road.