Lincoln Avenue Underpass Open to Traffic

Contact: Interim City Manager Micheal Morales – 509-575-6040 – mmorales@ci.yakima.wa.us
Community Relations Manager Randy Beehler – 509-901-1142 – rbeehler@ci.yakima.wa.us

Release Date: May 8th, 2012

While some work still remains to be completed on the Lincoln Avenue underpass, the roadway that now passes beneath BNSF railroad tracks was opened to traffic earlier today.  A dedication ceremony for the new underpass, which will include officials from various state and federal agencies that provided funding for the project, will take place later this month.

Planning for the Lincoln Avenue underpass, along with a companion underpass on MLK, Jr. Boulevard, began more than a decade ago.  The official groundbreaking for the Lincoln Avenue underpass took place in June of 2010.  The City is still in the process of securing all of the funding necessary for the MLK, Jr. Boulevard underpass.  No projected timeline for construction of the MLK, Jr. Boulevard underpass has been established.

While construction on the Lincoln Avenue underpass was underway, the roadway was closed between 1st Street and 1st Avenue.  MLK, Jr. Boulevard was restriped from a 3-lane, one-way street to a 4-lane, two-way street between 1st Street and 3rd Avenue in order to accommodate traffic that was rerouted around the Lincoln Avenue underpass construction area.

Over the next few days, the current westbound lanes of MLK, Jr. Boulevard will be closed and restriped.  During the restriping, MLK, Jr. Boulevard’s two eastbound lanes will remain open.  Eventually, MLK, Jr. Boulevard will once again become a 3-lane, one-way street carrying traffic eastbound.

The dedication ceremony for the Lincoln Avenue underpass is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 24th at 11:15am.

Lincoln Avenue Underpass Open to Traffic (pdf)