Wenatchee, WA
Home MenuNorth Wenatchee Avenue Corridor Improvements
Why is the City doing this Project?
This 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.
This project is fully funded through the construction phase through the Connecting Washington Transportation package. 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.
CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS AT A GLANCE
- Wider sidewalks and landscape buffers that will improve safety for pedestrians
- A wider roadway to accommodate emergency vehicles.
- A raised median that will remove the two way left turn lane and reduce collisions along the corridor.
- Modifications to the signalized intersections of Maiden Lane and Horse Lake Road to accommodate business and emergency service access through the addition of U-turns to provide connectivity.
- A signalized mid-block U-turn and pedestrian crossing near Washington Trust Bank.
- Bus priority signal for Link Transit.
- Placemaking urban design elements along the corridor.
Pedestrian Access
A new mid-block, signalized pedestrian crossing will be installed on North Wenatchee Avenue, featuring a center island refuge. This design improves safety by allowing pedestrians to cross in two stages and reduces walking distance between destinations, making it easier and safer to access businesses and transit stops along the corridor.
A new signalized mid-block pedestrian crossing will be added between Harbor Freight and Washington Trust Bank. The second photo shows a similar crossing design. Southbound drivers will be able to make a U-turn to head north and access businesses across the avenue.
Transit Improvements
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.
Why Replace the Center Turn Lane?
Center turn lanes or left-turn lanes, can create conflict points where vehicles from both directions attempt to turn left across traffic. This increases the risk of angle and rear-end collisions, especially in busy corridors like North Wenatchee Avenue.
Benefits of U-Turns
Instead of turning left across multiple lanes of traffic, drivers will use designated U-turn lane at signalized intersections and mid-block locations. This approach:- Reduces collision risk by limiting conflict points
- Improves pedestrian safety by reducing crossing distances
- Maintains access to businesses on both sides of the avenue
- Provides access to emergency services
For example - The left-turn lane at Horse Lake Road will be modified to include a U-turn lane, allowing safe and efficient turning movements similar to the McKittrick Street intersection. The same improvement will be applied at the Maiden Lane intersection.
Looking north on North Wenatchee Avenue, this image shows the existing center turn lane that allows drivers to make left turns across traffic.
Looking north on North Wenatchee Avenue, this image shows the completed improvements on North Wenatchee Avenue near McKittrick Street that included a raised median and a designated left-turn lane at the McKittrick Street intersection, allowing drivers to safely make U-turns.
PROJECT TIMELINE AND HISTORY
Current Phase: What to expect
The City is currently in the design phase for the project. Over the next several months, the project team will continue to 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. Their feedback has been incorporated into the design where possible and the City will continue working to minimize impacts wherever possible.
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.
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.
Transit Improvements
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: August 2025
Project History
The North Wenatchee Avenue Corridor Improvements Project has been a decade in the making. It builds on over ten years of coordinated planning efforts by the City of Wenatchee, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council (CDTC), Link Transit, and other local stakeholders.
- 2015: The Connecting Washington Transportation funding package identified corridor mobility and safety improvements as a legislative line item within.
- 2016: The City developed the North Wenatchee Avenue Master Plan to guide future development in the area.
- 2018: The City and WSDOT launched scoping efforts to build on prior studies and create a comprehensive corridor plan.
- 2019: The Preliminary Engineering Summary Report was released, outlining design concepts and phasing strategies. To view our North Wenatchee Ave Preliminary Summary Report from 2019 please click here.
- 2022–2023: The City conducted updated traffic analysis, regional mobility needs, and refined project phasing to align with available funding.
- 2023: The City hired an engineering consultant to advance the final design.
Project Events
March 2025 Open House
The project team reached 30% design for the project and hosted an open house in March 2025, to share early concepts with the public. About 25 community members attended to view design boards and a corridor plan drawing highlighting proposed improvements. The project team gathered questions and feedback on topics such as business access, funding, traffic impacts, and connections to other regional projects.
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.
Photo from the March 2025 open house.
| Funding Sources | |
| Connecting Washington Funding Package | $17,160,000.00 |
| Questions?
Please call us with questions - we are happy to discuss the project with you! City of Wenatchee Project Engineer, Nicole Brockwell, P.E. |
|