Pullman’s Main Street partially reopens

PULLMAN — Main Street opened to limited traffic Thursday morning.

Barriers blocking the roadway came down to allow for one lane of westbound traffic Thursday. Although the road is open, truck and vehicle detours on Bishop Boulevard will remain in place until construction is finished in about a week.

Main Street has been closed since April while crews from Apollo Inc., a Kennewick-based construction company, rebuild downtown’s streets, sidewalks and utilities.

Main Street was originally expected to reopen by Oct. 15. That deadline was pushed back twice, and is now a month behind schedule. Construction should be fully completed by next Friday.

The public is asked to be cautious and watch for construction vehicles and workers as the area is still actively being worked on.

Sidewalks have been open during the project and pedestrians are able to access downtown and businesses. Some parallel parking will be available where possible.

The nearly $12 million project was funded by $9.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. In September, the Whitman County Commissioners gave the city $200,000 to help costs.

The project has run into several speed bumps along the way. The once four-month construction job has taken eight months to complete. The project is also running over budget because of the added costs related to treating contaminated soil, which also delayed the completion date.

More information about Project Downtown Pullman is available at projectdowntownpullman.org.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.