US 12/SR 124 Intersection      Build Interchange - $21.3 million

PHASE 1       McNary Pool to Attalia - $11.2 million
PHASE 2       SR 124 to McNary Pool - $12.1 million
PHASE 3       Attalia Vicinity - $16.0 million
PHASE 4       Wallula Junction to Walla Walla Corridor Study - $5.4 million
PHASE 5       Attalia Vicinity to US 730 - Preliminary Design Only - $0.8 million
PHASE 6       Frenchtown Vicinity to Walla Walla - $51.9 million
PHASE 7       Nine Mile Hill to Frenchtown Vicinity - Partially Funded
PHASE 8       Wallula to Nine Mile Hill - Unfunded

US 12 - Wallula to Frenchtown Vicinity - Add Lanes

Four-laning US Highway 12 (Phases 7 and 8)

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Corridor study background and history
The US 12 Wallula to Walla Walla corridor study originally considered alignment alternatives and documented environmental impacts for a new four-lane highway from Wallula to Walla Walla. When a portion of the funding became available, WSDOT designed and built the section of US 12, from Frenchtown vicinity to Walla Walla (Phase 6). Using the remaining funding from the corridor study, WSDOT developed a recommendation for the final location from Wallula to Frenchtown vicinity, and finalized the environmental documentation. The new four-lane highway will be north of the existing US 12 highway.

Nine Mile Hill to Frenchtown Vicinity (Phase 7)
Phase 7 is the portion of the project that is north of the communities of Touchet and Lowden. There will be four intersections with local roads in this section. They are from west to east: Nine Mile Hill, Touchet North Road, Woodward Canyon Road, and Lower Dry Creek Road. The intersections will have acceleration and deceleration lanes to both the eastbound and westbound US 12 traffic. The median at these intersections will be 100 feet wide, to allow trucks to stop between the eastbound and westbound lanes and wait for the next lanes to clear before traveling the rest of the way across the new highway.
Cummins Road and Nibler Road will end in cul-de-sacs north and south of the new highway. An equipment undercrossing will be constructed at Cummins Road to allow for farming equipment to travel between north and south Cummins Road. The proposed highway will cross the Touchet River and the Dry Creek floodplains. The crossings will be designed to not impede a storm with a 100-year frequency.

Wallula to Nine Mile Hill (Phase 8)
Phase 8 will complete the four-laning roadway from Burbank to Walla Walla, connecting at existing US 12 near Boise Inc. at Wallula. WSDOT will build the roadway north of the Walla Walla River, Wallula. WSDOT will also construct an interchange at the new junction of US 730 and US 12.

What are the next steps?
The US Highway 12 coalition secured federal funds to begin design of Phase 7 from Nine Mile Hill to the Frenchtown vicinity. WSDOT is preparing right of way plans and has partial funding to acquire right of way between Nine Mile Hill and Woodward Canyon. Additional funding will be needed to complete the contract plans and finish right of way acquisition.
WSDOT is considering using the Design/Build process to complete Phase 7. Using this process a company or group of companies, including designers and builders, would submit bids for the opportunity to finish the design and build the Phase 7 as one project. WSDOT would oversee the process and ensure the final highway meets the needs of the land owners and the traveling public. Currently, there is no funding for the design of construction of Phase 8.

Recording the environmental process.
The Environmental Assessment (EA) for Phases 7 and 8 was completed in February 2010. The NEPA decision document, of Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), was completed in September 2010. These documents record the evaluation process used to select the preferred alternative for Phases 7 and 8.