YAKIMA, Wash.- If you use North First Street to get to your home, work or anything else, prepare yourselves for construction delays that will last until Fall of 2025.
Traffic will be restricted from Martin Luther King Boulevard to I Street with single lane travel and all-way stops at streetlights. The City of Yakima says this construction project has been in the works for over 5 years, first beginning in 2019.
The North First Street Revitalization Project’s three phases started with a $3.3 million investment from Highway 12 to N Street. Improvements in every phase included improved sidewalks, lighting and safety measures.
Phase 2 went from N to J Street and now construction is tackling the final but largest section.
“This stretch is the biggest stretch now that this project has taken on up to this point and it will take about two years to complete,” says Randy Beehler, a spokesperson for the city.
While a large part of the construction will focus on aesthetic improvements, a lot will be done that drivers will not see.
“The water, the sewer, that infrastructure, some of those pipes along that corridor are 100 years old and they’re too small to accommodate today’s needs,” says Beehler.
The City will keep access to homes and businesses open as much as possible during the construction, but it is possible all traffic is reduced to a single lane for a short time.
“What I can say about construction of especially a major construction project like this is it is disruptive,” says Beehler. “It will be challenging for a while, but the payoff will be worth it.”
The drive from one end of the project to the other would normally take one to two minutes. In a timed drive with construction underway, it took approximately five to make it through. Though not a huge difference, it’s worth planning for if you need the route to get to work.
Traffic will remain restricted throughout the entirety of the project which is projected to complete in the fall of 2025.
