The southbound lanes of North 1^st Street will be closed to traffic beginning tomorrow, Thursday, August 19^th, as part of Phase 2 of the North 1^st Street revitalization project.

The closure will be in place in the project area between I Street and N Street. On Thursday, crews will begin removing the old concrete road, curb, gutters and sidewalks on the southbound lanes in preparation for a new road surface and paving.

It is anticipated the southbound lane closures on North 1^st Street will continue through October.

Phase 2 of the North 1^st Street revitalization project is expected to be complete in November.

The speed limit for local traffic through the work area is 20 miles per hour.

As always, schedules for these types of projects are subject to change daily dependent on weather, equipment failure, and emergencies.

The North 1^st Street Revitalization Project is intended to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians and increase the economic development potential of the North 1^st Street corridor, one of the main entrances to the city.

Total Site Services of Richland is the general contractor for Phase 2, which began construction in April. The cost for Phase 2 is about $2.6 million, $665,000 below the engineer’s estimate of the project.

Phase 2 will be paid for through a combination of water and stormwater funds, as well as Transportation Benefit District (TBD) funds from a $20 annual car tab fee adopted by the Yakima City Council during its 2018 budget process.

Phase 1 of the North 1st Street Revitalization Project was completed in December 2019. It included improvements between Highway 12 to the north and N Street to the south. It cost about $3.3 million and funded mostly with federal and state funds.

The timeframe for Phase 3, which would provide improvements from J Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is dependent on funding. The City continues to seek state and federal funds for Phase 3, which has an estimated cost of $12 million.

For additional information about these projects, contact Construction Supervisor Bruce Floyd at 575-6138.