Repair work resumes on Chumstick Highway

LEAVENWORTH — Travelers should expect delays as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews resume repair work on Chumstick Highway this week.

According to Chelan County, excavation and prep work is planned over Monday and Tuesday, with nine sections of roadway paved on Wednesday. A traffic closure will be in effect from milepost 10 to 12. Starting at 6 a.m. Monday, the southbound lane will remain closed, with flagger-controlled, one-lane, alternating traffic until Jan. 14. Work is weather permitting; repair work was originally scheduled for last week, but postponed due to weather conditions.

Chumstick Highway has been serving as a detour for US-2 from Coles Corner to Leavenworth, due to the ongoing closure of US-2 through Tumwater Canyon. Tumwater Canyon is expected to remain closed until mid-March as WSDOT works to repair several damaged sections of highway.

While Chumstick Highway is a county road, Chelan County Public Works and WSDOT have a longstanding agreement that the state is allowed to use Chumstick Highway as a detour when Tumwater Canyon is closed due to emergency highway repairs, natural hazards, or other obstructions. During these closures, WSDOT assumes responsibility for the maintenance of Chumstick Highway.

However, Chumstick Highway has bridge and weight restrictions. Overweight vehicles are prohibited from the roadway unless permitted by the county. Chelan County said it was working on permitting with hauling companies, and that the Sheriff’s Office is continuing to monitor the roadway.

Additionally, a portion of Beaver Valley Road, which is a part of the US-2 detour, has been temporarily lowered to 35 miles per hour to accommodate the increase in traffic through Plain. The speed reduction is in place between Pobst Place and the Wenatchee River bridge near Plain.

WSDOT is encouraging people not to use US 2 for cross-state travel, and law enforcement is monitoring the Chumstick. But we have until about mid-March before the Tumwater Canyon is reopened. After a large storm event, oftentimes it’s the cleanup and repairs that are the hardest to weather. We thank everyone for their patience.

Until US-2 through Tumwater Canyon reopens, WSDOT is encouraging travelers to use alternative highways for cross-state travel. Updated travel conditions are available on WSDOT real-time travel map.