Planned SR 282 roundabout closure draws concern over school traffic and local streets

Ephrata city staff and councilors on Tuesday discussed a Franklin County/State plan to close State Route 282 for a roundabout project that would reroute traffic through parts of Ephrata, including near schools and neighborhoods.

Staff described a proposal the county circulated that would close the intersection at Mount Washington Way and SR 282 for construction and detour east‑west highway traffic through the city. The proposed work window in the county email, staff said, begins July 21 and would be completed by Sept. 12 — covering the first several weeks of school.

Traffic counts and neighborhood impact
Staff and councilors noted the most recent published traffic count at the intersection was from 2007 (about 8,000 vehicles per day) and estimated growth since then could raise volumes to roughly 12,000 vehicles per day on SR 282 through the city. Staff cautioned that detoured traffic could cause backups on local streets that already see heavy flows during school arrival and dismissal, and that school buses and heavy trucks could compound congestion and worsen wear on city pavement.

Councilors and staff asked whether local access would be preserved for businesses such as American Rock Products and for Port District traffic; staff said signing and detailed detour plans remain under discussion. “Part of our gut reaction on this was…we should have sat down and had more of a conversation,” a city staff member said, noting concerns about railroad crossings, traffic signals and the risks of backups near the middle school during peak times.

Why it matters: The proposed full closure would shorten the construction schedule but concentrate traffic impacts on local streets for several weeks, city officials said. The council asked staff to open more detailed conversations with the county and other stakeholders, including the port and school district, to identify mitigation measures such as alternate routing, conspicuous truck‑route signage and coordination on school‑bus scheduling.

Next steps
Staff said they will continue coordination with county and state transportation staff, examine updated traffic counts, and press for mitigation measures before a final detour plan is implemented.