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City outlines $17.6 million Apple Capital Loop bike–ped bridge project, warns of months-long park impacts
Summary
City engineers presented design, funding and schedule details for the South End Pike Bike/Ped Access Bridges project — part of the Apple Capital Loop — including a $17.6 million total budget, Apollo Inc. as the contractor, an April start and intermittent closures of parts of Hill Park through construction.
City engineering staff on May 15 gave Wenatchee City Council a detailed update on the South End Pike Bike/Ped Access Bridges project — a key segment of the Apple Capital Loop — including funding sources, contractors, construction schedule and expected public impacts.
Engineering Services Manager Ryan Harmon and Project Engineer Nicole Brockwell said the total project budget is about $17,600,000 for design, right-of-way, inspection and construction, funded primarily by federal programs (INFRA, FHWA), Surface Transportation Block Grant dollars, the Carbon Reduction Program and Move Ahead Washington funds; local funds total about $234,000.
Harmon said Apollo Inc. was the low responsive, responsible bidder and the construction bid totaled $13,260,502. Exeltek Consulting will provide construction management; other firms on the project team include RH2 (design), AAR (materials testing), Aquaterra (cultural resources monitoring) and Aspect Consulting (geotechnical).
The presentation included renderings of two bridges linking Wenatchee and East Wenatchee across the railway and state highway, and an overview of planned access ramps, stairs, and a 5% maximum slope for ramps to maintain ADA compliance. Brockwell said lighting, including LED strip lighting on rails and under-bridge security lighting, will be installed to aim light where needed while limiting light pollution.
Staff said construction is expected to begin April 1 on the East Wenatchee side with mobilization and pier excavation; the superstructure delivery and truss set is planned for September–early October, with most East Wenatchee work completed by mid-October. Work on the Wenatchee side will start later, with demolition of the existing ramp in June. The project will include a contractor winter shutdown (December–February) and an anticipated physical completion in November 2026.
Harmon noted constraints that lengthen the Wenatchee-side schedule: certain irrigation work must be done between Oct. 16 and March 14 while the water is off; railroad-associated work cannot occur between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31; and portions of Hill Park will be closed intermittently. Contract limits prevent closing any single park area for more than 180 days, staff said.
Staff warned that the existing pedestrian ramp will be inaccessible for approximately 17 months and that there will be intermittent closures of parking, the skate-park area and dog-park access. The city plans a major public-outreach program: a press release, groundbreaking in April, door-to-door business outreach on Valley Mall Parkway, detour signage at major trailheads, pop-up events, social media posts, and coordination with Link Transit, which is adjusting Route 12 to move a stop closer to the detour.
Council members asked about lighting and other design details; staff said project renderings show lighting and safety features and confirmed plans to post notices and detour signage to inform park and trail users. Staff also said the city has TIB grant funding for related future improvements on Bridge Street.
The council did not vote on construction authorization during the presentation; the project had previously been awarded and staff said construction would begin in the coming weeks.
