PUD work in Tumwater Canyon begins Sept. 9

LEAVENWORTH —  Chelan County PUD will be relocating an aging, difficult-to-access overhead power line underground along 4.5 miles of US-2 over the next two months.

The work will begin Sept. 9 and continue through Oct. 30. Crews will start near Icicle Creek Road and progress west through Tumwater Canyon, spanning from milepost 94.5 to milepost 99. They will work Monday through Friday during daylight hours, generally 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

The project aims to improve reliability and maintenance access while reducing wildfire and safety risks. Crews will install underground conduit, vaults, electrical equipment and cable, followed by the removal of existing overhead lines and poles. 

During construction, traffic will be reduced to one lane for approximately one mile at a time, with flaggers and a pilot car guiding vehicles through the work zone. Both lanes of Highway 2 will be open outside of construction hours. No traffic revisions are planned at the Icicle Creek Road intersection, but construction may delay or temporarily stop traffic. The PUD asks that travelers slow down and allow extra travel time in these areas.

The City of Leavenworth encourages travelers to use East Leavenworth Road or Chumstick Highway or SR 207 as alternate routes when possible. 

Brief outages will be required as service is transferred underground. The PUD says affected customers will receive advance notice.