Why is the City doing this Project?

The City of Wenatchee, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Chelan Douglas Transportation Council (CDTC), and Link Transit, along with multiple local partners and stakeholders have been engaged in identifying and implementing improvements to North Wenatchee Avenue (SR 285) for over a decade. Improving this urban street corridor is a significant component of the Apple Capital Loop - a network of improvement projects that will complete an 11-mile loops that serves as the backbone for highway, transit, and active modes of transportation.

This specific project will help improve safety and mobility for both pedestrians and vehicles along the North Wenatchee Avenue Corridor from just north of Hawley Street to Horse Lake Road. The improvements planned along the corridor will reduce collisions, maintain business access, maximize operation capacity, and improve pedestrian and bike safety, and ensure transit route reliability.

Below is a crash data map, which shows where collisions have historically occurred along the corridor. Yellow and red areas indicate the highest crash densities, helping us better understand past traffic patterns and safety concerns. 

We’re committed to creating a safer, more efficient corridor for everyone.

The North Wenatchee Avenue Corridor Improvements project has been a decade in the making.

In 2015, mobility and safety improvements for the corridor were identified as a legislative line item within the Connecting Washington funding package, a statewide investment to enhance transportation and maintain infrastructure.

The following year, the City developed the North Wenatchee Avenue Master Plan to create a development framework for the North Wenatchee Avenue Area. By 2018, the City and WSDOT had launched scoping efforts to build on the previous planning studies and develop a comprehensive corridor plan for North Wenatchee Avenue.  This effort identified design parameters for the full length of the corridor, recommended implementation of the Connecting Washington Funding, stakeholder and business outreach, and identified future projects. Between 2022 and 2023, the City, CDTC, WSDOT, and Link Transit partnered to update the 2017 efforts to include updated traffic analysis, revisit regional mobility needs, redefine the phasing improvements, and finalize the scope for the Connecting Washington project to align with the available funding. In 2023, the City advertised and hired an engineering consultant to move the design forward.

To view our North Wenatchee Ave Preliminary Summary Report from 2019 please click here. 

What will the Project include?

• Wider sidewalks, landscape buffers, and a raised median that will improve safety for pedestrians and drivers.
• A wider roadway to accommodate emergency vehicles.
• A signalized mid-block U-turn and pedestrian crossing.
• Bus priority signal for Link Transit.
• Modifications to signalized intersections to accommodate U-turns and provide connectivity.

The project includes improvements at three key locations:

• Added U-turn at Maiden Ln and North Wenatchee Ave intersection
• Added U-turn at Horse Lake Rd and North Wenatchee Ave intersection
• New mid-block signalized U-turn at Washington Trust Bank

Pedestrian Access
Pedestrians wanting to cross North Wenatchee Ave will use a new signalized mid-block pedestrian crossing. It will include an island refuge for pedestrians to safely cross the road.

(Example of midblock pedestrian crossing)

U-Turn Intersection
Drivers will have access to businesses along North Wenatchee Avenue using the signalized mid-block U-turn. The project will replace the center turn lane with a raised median. The intersection at McKittrick St and North Wenatchee Ave, includes a U-turn movement.

The project includes a bus priority signal for Link Transit to enhance traffic flow, allowing buses to move ahead of vehicles and providing extra time for passenger pick-up without significantly delaying overall traffic.

What to expect

The City is currently in the design phase for the project. Over the next several months, the project team will work with property owners and other impacted parties to acquire the necessary right-of-way for the project. The City has met with all effected property owners and is continuing to coordinate with owners regarding impacts. For any questions regarding the right of way process, please see the North Wenatchee Avenue Corridor Improvements Project Right-of-Way page for more information.

Timeline

Last Updated: March 2025

Project Events

March 2025 Open House

• Display Boards
• Preliminary Roadway Plan Drawing

Please note the materials presented at the open house and on the project page are preliminary. As we continue to gather feedback and refine our approach, these plans are subject to change.