A major road improvement project has broken ground in West Richland and is expected to take more than 17 months to complete.  

The SR 224 Red Mountain Vicinity Improvements Project will upgrade 3.5 miles of the highway, adding five new roundabouts to improve safety, connectivity and mobility. 

Lane closures, detours and reduced speed zones will be in place during construction hours.  

While the work may cause disruptions, the project schedule was carefully considered so as not to affect community events such as the Veterans Day parade.  

Work starts at the intersection of Ruppert Road with Highway 224. The north side of Ruppert Road will be closed for two weeks starting July 21, and traffic will detour via Keene Road and Paradise Way, according to a West Richland Facebook post announcing the construction.  

Beginning Aug. 4, the full intersection will be closed and a Highway 224 detour and temporary bypass will be in place. Additional work includes utility crossings and pathway grading from Antinori Road to Red Mountain Road.  

This phase of the construction is expected to last through September, with work on the next phases of the project – the north side of the segment of Highway 224 between Ruppert Road and North 62nd Avenue, as well as the irrigation canal wall at North 62nd Avenue – slated to start in October.  

For more information, go to: westrichland.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=110.