Malaga traffic prompts construction changes, renewed push for river crossing

MALAGA — Staggered construction shifts at Microsoft’s data center campus are intended to ease traffic congestion in Malaga, while county officials continue examining longer-term options for road capacity and another Columbia River crossing.

Residents raised concerns about commuting delays, speeding and difficulty entering busy roads during Chelan County Commissioner Kevin Overbay’s Oct. 7 fall community meeting.

Public Works Director Eric Pierson said the county has studied traffic associated with Microsoft’s construction and worked with the company to reduce the concentration of vehicles arriving and leaving at the same time.

“They have made some modifications in their starting times for their workers to kind of take that peak down some, and hopefully try to alleviate that,” Pierson said.

Malaga resident Vicki Malloy said the staggered schedules had made a noticeable difference. Others described continuing problems getting out of driveways and navigating intersections along the route into Wenatchee.

Pierson said a traffic impact study was completed for Microsoft’s first three buildings. The county expects additional analysis accounting for construction traffic associated with another anticipated phase.

Community Development Director Deanna Walter clarified later in the meeting that Microsoft has submitted and received building permits for three buildings. Applications for another three anticipated buildings have not yet been submitted.

Pierson said the county would seek additional measures to address traffic during future construction.

“We're going to hit them a little bit harder as far as coming up with something different with their next phase or any other future construction out there,” he said.

The concerns also extend beyond a single construction project. Pierson said county transportation planning identifies potential capacity problems on Malaga-Alcoa Highway over the next 20 years.

Indeed, many residents in attendance at the meeting noted that traffic frustrations were not limited to Microsoft-related congestion. The Malaga-Alcoa highway opened 74 years ago, having aligned with the opening of the Alcoa plant in 1952. Few improvements have been made in that time.

Possible responses could include widening the road, providing another access route or improving options for travel beyond private vehicles. Those possibilities remain planning considerations rather than funded construction commitments.

Pierson explained that traffic studies for larger developments evaluate existing conditions, project growth and add the development’s anticipated traffic to determine effects on roads and intersections. Mitigation is required when applicable service standards cannot be maintained.

For Overbay, another river crossing remains part of the longer-term discussion.

Asked whether the idea of a bridge connecting the Malaga area across the Columbia had been abandoned, he said he continues advocating for further study through the Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council.

The county commissioner described the distance across the river near the railroad bridge as about 736 feet at its narrowest point.

“But you've got to go 16 miles to go 736 feet,” Overbay said, noting the distance from the next-closest bridge that spans the river, the George Sellar Bridge in Wenatchee.

A preliminary study has examined potential crossing routes, he said. He is seeking additional funding to continue evaluating a third river crossing serving the Malaga area.

Overbay acknowledged that residents hold differing views about a bridge and the growth it could bring. He said further work would need to examine both benefits and consequences for the community.

“We definitely need to do a deeper dive into what a third river crossing would look like, and the impact to this community, both positively, as well as the negative side,” he said.

Another access effort would connect Malaga to the Apple Capital Loop Trail.

Natural Resources Director Mike Kaputa said the county has twice sought a nationally competitive federal BUILD grant for planning money to complete the trail extension’s final design. Both applications advanced far into the selection process but did not receive funding.

County officials are considering another application and additional congressional support. Overbay said they are also exploring whether coordinating with the City of Wenatchee on a combined application could improve their chances.

The road, bridge and trail discussions reflect a shared challenge for Malaga: accommodating more activity while improving the ways residents move within and beyond their community.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media