Guardrail project to extend 8,000 feet

Contractor M2 Construction, of Ellensburg, started Monday on installing 8,000 feet of new guardrail work on Pullman-Wawawai Road and Wawawai Road.

The project was approved in May as part of a package funded for $650,000 from the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program and has since gone through delays as an underground phone line needs to be moved by Frontier Communications.

Dean Cornelison, assistant county engineer, reported the project should take three weeks if everything goes smoothly.

“Most likely longer than that,” he said.

Frontier will work with the contractor to expose the phone line and move it as needed.

State law allows for utilities to use county road right-of-way ground.

The other half of the $650,000 funding package included rumble strips and striping this summer on several roads across the county.