Council reviews detour plan and school pickup routing during Moses Lake detour; flaggers and bus routing planned

Council members and staff described an operational traffic-management plan to address increased traffic on Nat Washington Way and the nearby railroad crossing because of a detour from Moses Lake. Staff said the city, county, school district, state agencies and the local public utility district collaborated on a routing plan to reduce congestion at the intersection near the middle school during pickup and drop-off times.

Under the plan, buses will enter the site via a separate bus lane, flaggers will be posted at key intersections and middle-school pickup/drop-off will be routed down Basin Street to the Highway 17 overpass, around the roundabout and back through a circuit that uses the fire station area — similar to prior arrangements during middle school construction. Staff said the adjustments would affect the school commute for about a 90-minute window twice a day while the detour remains in place and that the roundabout work is ahead of schedule, so the detour may be short-lived.

Council members praised the multi-agency coordination and thanked staff for producing detailed routing plans; staff asked that council members help notify residents about the temporary routes. No formal council vote was recorded; staff will implement the detour plan in coordination with partners and provide updates as needed.