<p>An expanded produce section greets shoppers near the remodeled north entry of the Warrenton Fred Meyers.</p>

WARRENTON On Feb. 2, Fred Meyers new 40,000-square-foot expansion opened to customers, widening its aisles and adding more products and check stands.

Were at the tail end now, said Store Manager Justin Downs of the stores $18-million remodel. We only have 2 1/2 months until grand opening.

Fred Meyer plans an April 18 grand opening upon completion of its remodel, which has seen the existing store departments rearranged, parking lots shut down and an entirely new grocery section added onto the western edge of the store.

The project started in October 2012 with expansion of the stores fuel center. Construction of the extension to the north started in June, when crews cracked and cleared the parking lot north of the store, where the new grocery section will be.

In September, the stores main parking lot to the north shut down, forcing customers through a fenced corridor and into a temporary entrance cut out from a wall near the pharmacy.

Fred Meyer, a Portland-based grocery company bought by Cincinnati-based Kroger Corp. in 1999, spent $200 million in 2013 on remodeling stores in Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Idaho.