Rebuild of hospital access roads starts next Monday

Two short roads responsible for carrying 100% of Coulee Medical Center traffic in Grand Coulee will undergo reconstruction beginning next week and lasting into the summer.

Fortuyn Road and James Saunders Street will be closed except to “local traffic only” starting Monday, May 20, according to an informational flyer delivered to Fortuyn residents last week.

What that means in practice for ambulances and hospital visitors is not yet known, but the contractor is working on a plan for continued access, according to Grand Coulee Clerk Lorna Pearce. The firm did not provide further information on the plan by press time, nor how long the project would last.

The Grand Coulee city council awarded the $640,000 bid contract to Ascent Foundation and More, out of Cle Elum, at the recommendation of the city’s consulting project engineer in March. The engineer’s estimate was $675,000. 

Funding for the city project will come from a state Transportation Improvement Board grant. 

In addition to the Coulee Medical Center, clients and staff at Renew behavioral health clinic and about a dozen residences will have to adjust to the construction schedule. Burdin Boulevard will remain open through the project.