Link Transit Celebrates Completion of Leavenworth Roundabout

Thanks to a strong collaborative effort with the City of Leavenworth and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Link Transit’s roundabout project at the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and Icicle Road was completed on time and under budget. The agencies involved in the project are celebrating with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18 on the south edge of the roundabout. The small event is not expected to impact traffic flow.

“We could not be more pleased with how this project went,” said Link Transit Chief Executive Officer Nick Covey. “We are even more pleased to bring safer, pedestrian and transit-friendly improvements to one of our region’s busiest traffic corridors.”

The improved intersection helps Link Transit buses navigate the length of the City of Leavenworth without having to detour through residential streets to turn around. Additionally, the tight turn of the roundabout forces traffic to slow down, enhancing safety for pedestrians and motorists alike.

With a price tag of $2.2 million, the project is more than $1 million shy of the initial projected cost of $3.3 million.

“Our partners at RH2 Engineering and KCRI Construction really delivered,” Covey said. “We are happy we are wrapping things up in time for cold weather and the busy holiday season.”

An April 2020 U.S. 2 Upper Wenatchee Valley Transportation Corridor Study conducted jointly by the Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council and WSDOT identified the Icicle Road and U.S. 2 intersection project as a priority. Link Transit was able to finance the project out of its 2023 capital budget. The City of Leavenworth coordinated the installation of a new water main to coincide with the roundabout construction, a significant savings in terms of traffic disruption and direct costs to the City.

“We are always looking for opportunities to partner with other agencies to create a safer, more efficient transportation environment for our citizens,” Covey said. “Link’s motto is ‘Connecting our Communities’, and we feel this project is just one of the many ways we deliver on that promise.”

Other recent Link Transit community projects include the Wilkommen Park-and-Ride (located behind Safeway on the east end of Leavenworth completed in 2019), the East Wenatchee Park & Ride slated to open this fall, new highway bus stops in Cashmere and Olds Station and the installation of 19 free electric car chargers in the region.

Link’s zero-fare public transportation service operates seven days a week, serving 3,500 square miles of rural North Central Washington and providing critical transportation connections for citizens in more than a dozen communities.