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Chelan bridge study: two-way conversion could shave minutes off southbound trips but would cost millions and trade off bike/ped facilities
Summary
A consultant presentation showed a two-way bridge conversion could cut southbound downtown travel times by about two minutes, but it would require significant capital work (staff cited $8M–$14M range), narrow sidewalks and eliminate a bike lane; consultants warned about 30% cut-through traffic diversion onto neighborhood streets and urged coordinated intersection fixes.
City transportation consultants presented analysis of three bridge configurations—existing one-way eastbound, reversed one-way westbound, and a full two-way conversion—aimed at evaluating effects on travel times and intersection level of service over a 20-year planning horizon.
The key finding: opening the bridge to two-way operation produced the clearest travel-time improvement for downtown southbound movements—"about two minutes of travel time savings" on the route the consultant showed—while reversing to one-way westbound performed worst on intersection service measures. The consultants also projected that roughly 30% of trips could divert onto local neighborhood streets under the scenarios, increasing cut-through traffic concerns.
Costs and trade-offs: Staff noted prior cost work with KPFF that ranged roughly from $8 million to $14 million depending on the option. The two-way scenario would require narrowing a currently wide sidewalk and would remove an existing bike lane on the bridge deck; consultants said these active-transportation trade-offs and the capital cost are central policy decisions for the council.
Intersection sensitivity and policy implications: The analysis identified the Johnson and Sandridge intersections as likely pinch points; consultants recommended addressing those intersections in tandem with any bridge-direction decision because changes at the bridge shift traffic patterns and can degrade other intersections if not planned together. Consultants warned that navigation apps make cut-through diversion to neighborhood streets more likely and called for mitigation planning if a direction change proceeds.
Next steps: Staff said the transportation program and STIP/TIP priorities will be updated, and consultants will return with refined numbers and cost estimates to inform a policy decision. Staff reminded the council that projects must be prioritized for the 6-year transportation program (deadline items noted for the July adoption cycle) and that funding will likely require a mix of local transportation benefit revenues and external grants.
