Nearly $210 million in new and continuing transportation-related construction projects are slated for 2017 across Spokane County, an increase of $70 million from last year. 

The increase is likely due at least in part to a planned resumption of construction on the North Spokane Corridor project, as well as an upcoming deadline for the start of some of the city of Spokane’s clean water plan projects.  

The Washington state Department of Transportation’s Eastern Region plans to move forward again on the $1.49 billion North Spokane Corridor project, having hit a lull last year after completing projects that were funded through 2016. The department also has several other large projects planned both within Spokane and throughout the eastern region.

The city of Spokane is set to begin work soon on the $15.4 million University District pedestrian bridge project as well as several other city street projects, including the first phase of an $8.5 million Sprague Avenue rebuild project and a $3 million Division Street Gateway improvement project. 

The city also is continuing work on a $4.8 million 37th Avenue roadway reconstruction project, as well as the $2.5 million second phase of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Riverside Drive project. 

In addition to its streets projects, the city is also in the midst of installing several large combined sewage overflow tanks as part of its clean water plan.

Construction on a $16.3 million, 2.2-million gallon tank project at the corner of First Avenue and Adams Street downtown started in February. Early this spring, construction will begin on a similar-sized, $20 million tank project along Spokane Falls Boulevard, near Spokane City Hall.

The city of Spokane Valley is looking to wrap up construction on a $15.9 million Sullivan Road west bridge project late this summer with additional improvements at the site. The city also has several street reconstruction and trail projects planned to start in the coming months, including a $2 million Euclid Avenue reconstruction, a $2.1 million Sullivan/Euclid concrete intersection project, and two $2 million in projects involving Appleway Trail.

Spokane International Airport has several projects lined up for 2017, including the start of its South Pilot Ramp project, says spokesman Todd Woodard.  

The $5.2 million project is being funded by a Federal Aviation Administration grant, and is designed to improve the apron concrete surface and aircraft maneuverability for tenants such as U.S. Customs. 

Woodard says construction should start as soon as weather allows, and the project should be completed this September. 

Woodard says the airport also is continuing work on a $4 million project to upgrade its explosive detection systems and to improve its checked baggage resolution areas. That project is funded by the Transportation Security Administration and is expected to be completed in November. 

In February, the Spokane Airport Board voted to increase passenger facility charges collected in order to complete two projects, those being the $1.8 million terminal area plan project and a $2.1 million elevator upgrades project.

According to Woodard, the terminal area plan project was a planning exercise performed this year by Florida-based RS&H Inc., a facilities and infrastructure consulting firm, to determine future terminal renovation and expansion concepts, and their estimated cost. 

Woodard says the elevator upgrades project is still in the design phase, with construction expected to begin in July and reach completion in March of 2018.  

Also planned for this year is the first phase of site preparation for a planned gas station and convenience store. Woodard says the c-store site preparation project includes installing utilities. The project will go to bid this spring, and is expected to be completed this fall.  

He says the second phase of the project will include installing roads and landscaping, and doing further site-preparation work. Construction on that phase will begin next year. Woodard says a start date for construction of the convenience store hasn’t been determined. 

The Spokane Transit Authority is wrapping up an STA Plaza renovation project downtown and has several other large projects set to begin this spring and in early summer, says Brandon Rapez-Betty, a spokesman for STA. 

He says the $4.95 million plaza renovation that started last year should finish this summer, with workers installing an escalator, completing first-floor restrooms, reinstalling a cougar art feature, and other minor updates. 

This summer, Rapez-Betty says, STA plans to begin construction on the $12 million West Plains Transit Center project, which will create a park-and-ride facility just southwest of the Medical Lake interchange along Interstate 90.

The project, which goes out for bids in April, is expected to get under way in July and to be completed by the fall of 2018. The new facility will have 220 parking stalls, three loading bays, waiting shelters, security cameras, and real-time signage. 

Rapez-Betty says STA also has begun plans for a $1.7 million Division Street pedestrian improvement project, set to begin next year. The project will focus on improving pedestrian access along Division, including sidewalk construction and repair, installing Americans with Disabilities Act boarding and lighting pads at bus stops, and some new shelters. 

While he says the project’s timeline depends on property owner collaboration, it already has funding from both the city of Spokane and federal sources. 

WSDOT

Al Gilson, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation’s Eastern Region says the department has a busy construction season ahead with several projects planned in the Spokane area, as well as throughout its seven-county region.

Gilson says WSDOT has two projects planned related to the North Spokane Corridor, both set to begin this spring. So far, the department has completed 5 1/2 miles of the $1.49 billion, 10.5-mile long project.

Gilson says the first North Spokane Corridor project planned for this season is a $7.6 million project, awarded to Max J. Kuney Co. of Spokane. The project will build two freeway bridges over Freya Street that will be located between the two roundabouts on Freya where the current freeway lanes terminate. 

He says the second, $382,000 North Spokane Corridor project, awarded to Red Diamond Construction Inc. of Spokane, will include curb and sidewalk updates, as well as the creation of cul-de-sacs along Market Street in Hillyard. 

In early March, BNSF Railway Co., Husky Energy, the Washington state Department of Ecology, and WSDOT agreed on a framework for the environmental cleanup of the “Black Tank” contamination area in northeast Spokane that’s within the alignment of the North Spokane Corridor freeway project. 

Gilson says the contaminated site was preventing further work on design and construction of the corridor project, until an agreement on thorough cleanup efforts was reached. 

“This will enable the department to continue constructing that section of corridor within the original design footprint, with minimal modifications,” he says.

Gilson says the department has several larger projects in the design and planning phases that will start construction this season, including two paving projects set along U.S. 2. 

The first of those projects will repave the section of highway from Francis Avenue to the Division “Y,” while the second project will repave the section of highway from Deer Road to Mt. Spokane Road. 

Gilson says the second project also will include adding raised islands with dedicated turn lanes for easier commercial and residential traffic access. He says neither project has an estimated cost yet, although both are set to be completed this year. 

A third paving project also planned for this construction season will repave Trent Avenue from where it intersects Mission Avenue all the way to Sullivan Road.  

Gilson says that project also will include the repair of several nearby bridges which cross over the Spokane River just east of Pines. That project hasn’t been given an estimated cost, but is set to be completed this year. 

A $9.7 million repaving project awarded to Kerr Contractors Inc., of Woodburn, Ore., is scheduled to start in April along a section of I-90 from the Adams County line northeast of Ritzville, to where it crosses the Spokane County line just northeast of Sprague, and will take an estimated 15 weeks to complete. 

Gilson says the department also has several freeway bridge repair projects planned for this season. The largest, still in the planning stages, is the I-90 viaduct and Third Avenue bridge project. 

The project will involve repairing several bridge expansion joints, concrete approach panels, and bridge surfaces on eastbound and westbound I-90, as it passes through downtown Spokane between Monroe and Perry streets. 

Gilson estimates the project will take 40 days to complete, and will require traffic on I-90 to be reduced to two lanes at various times during construction. 

In addition to its other projects, Gilson says the department also will be working on several sidewalk improvement projects north of the river this year. The improvements will take place in selected locations along Division and Ruby streets. Gilson says William Winkler Co., of Newman Lake, will be the contractor on those projects, which have an estimated cost of $1.9 million. 

Gilson says the department also is designing a replacement for the East Trent Avenue Bridge, which crosses the Spokane River just east of Hamilton Street in East Spokane. He says the $20 million project likely will go out for bids in the fall of 2018, with construction starting in 2019. 

City of Spokane

The city of Spokane anticipates spending about $31 million this year for street, sidewalk, and trail/path projects, including several continuing projects, says city spokeswoman Julie Happy. 

“This is our biggest construction season yet due to the large amount of Combined Sewer Overflow tank work we have going this year,” she says. “We have two of the biggest CSO tanks we have constructed going in this year as well as the U District Bridge as our largest projects.”

Happy says the first phase of the University District Gateway Pedestrian Bridge project began construction last month. 

The bridge will span Martin Luther King Jr. Way and the BNSF Railway tracks, with a south landing being constructed at Riverside Avenue, and a north landing being constructed near Sherman Street. 

Mark Serbousek, principal engineer for project, says the $9.4 million first phase was awarded to Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, began in March, with multiple construction teams working at each landing site. 

Serbousek says the railroad has requested that construction on the project be shut down during the fourth quarter, but it’s expected to resume early in 2018, and to be completed later that summer. 

Happy says the city will also continue this spring on the $4.8 million second phase of the 37th Avenue roadway reconstruction project. This phase will involve reconstruction of the roadway between Regal and Custer streets, including pavement replacement, and the addition of curbs, sidewalk, bike lanes, storm water piping and a 36-inch water main. The project has been awarded to Murphy Brothers Inc. and Shamrock Paving Inc., of Spokane, and is expected to be completed this fall. 

Happy says the city will begin the first phase of its $8.5 million Sprague Avenue rebuild project, recently awarded to L&L Cargile Inc., of Spokane Valley. She says the project will include a full street reconstruction from Helena Street to Stone Street, including sidewalk replacement, bump outs, landscaping, pedestrian lighting, and utility replacements. The project is expected to be completed this fall.

Although the city isn’t seeking bids on it yet, Happy says another project expected to begin this spring is the $3 million Division Street Gateway improvements project. The project will add trees, landscaping, curb bump outs, lighting, and signal replacements along the section of street between Third Avenue and Spokane Falls Boulevard. 

Another project that has yet to be awarded, but that’s expected to begin this spring, is a $1.7 million Barnes Road upgrade. The project includes paving Barnes Road between Strong Road and Phoebe Street, adding curbs, sidewalks, and drainage facilities, and installing a 12-inch water line. The project is expected to be completed this summer. 

Happy says the city also has several residential grind-and-overlay projects planned this spring, which were bid together with an estimated total cost of $900,000. The projects include grinding and repaving of streets in various locations along Crown Avenue, Garfield Road, Helena Street, and Gordon Avenue. The projects also will include updating Americans with Disabilities Act ramps in those locations where necessary.

Happy says the city also is continuing construction this summer on a $2.5 million MLK Jr. Boulevard/ Riverside Drive project. The project, awarded to Halme Construction Inc., of Airway Heights, calls for the continued extension of the MLK Jr. Boulevard from Erie Street to Perry Street. Expected to be completed this fall, the project will include construction of a new street and associated utilities, storm water swales, and sidewalks, as well as creation of a roundabout at Perry Street and Trent Avenue.  

Happy says the city also has several smaller, trails projects set to start this spring, including a $347,000 project that will improve the Centennial Trail at Mission Avenue, from Perry Street to UpRiver Drive. 

She says a Downtown Bicycle Network project also is set to begin its third and final phase. The $101,000 project awarded to Sharp-Line Industries Inc., of Spokane, will add striping, surface treatments, and bike lanes along Sprague and First avenues, as well as Bernard, and Sherman streets. 

Marlene Feist, spokeswoman for the city’s utilities department, says it intends to begin construction on about $85.5 million in combined sewer overflow projects this year. 

Feist says the city is continuing construction of a 700,000-gallon CSO tank on the west side of upper/lower Pettet Drive, known to Bloomsday runners as “Doomsday Hill,” in north Spokane. 

The $7 million project, awarded to Halme Construction, started in early 2016 and is expected to be completed this spring. 

Feist says work also continues on an 800,000-gallon tank near Summit Boulevard and Monroe Avenue. Work on that $5.9 million project, awarded to Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, started last year and is expected to be completed early this summer. 

Last month, Feist says, the city began construction of a 2.2-million gallon tank at First Avenue and Adams Street downtown. The $16.3 million project, awarded to Halme Construction, and Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, as a joint venture, is expected to continue until the end of 2018.

Later this month, Feist says, the city plans to begin construction of a 2.1-million gallon tank near City Hall on Spokane Falls Boulevard. The $20 million project, awarded to Garco Construction Inc. of Spokane, is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Also this spring, Feist says the city also plans to begin construction on a 2-million gallon CSO tank, just west of Liberty Park, where Third Avenue passes under I-90. The $9.6 million project, awarded to Halme Construction, is expected to be completed by summer of 2018. 

Another of the city’s spring tank projects incudes the construction of a 1.4-million gallon tank near Northwest Boulevard and T.J. Meenach Drive, in northwest Spokane. The $7.9 million project was out for bid at press time, with construction expected to begin this spring and to continue into fall 2018. 

Feist says the city also has two tank projects that are expected to start this summer and reach completion later this year, neither of which has gone out for bids.

One of them, a $13 million project, involves the construction of a 1.5-million gallon tank at Riverside Avenue and Lee Street east of downtown. The other, a $2.8 million project, involves constructing a 200,000-gallon tank at Riverside Avenue and Napa Street.

Feist says the city also has planned for three, $1 million tank projects set to begin this fall, none of which have gone out for bids yet. 

One of them includes the construction of a smaller, 25,000-gallon tank at Cedar Street and Main Avenue. The remaining two tank projects are planned for the Kendall Yards neighborhood. One of them will involve installing a 38,000-gallon tank near the intersection of Ash and Bridge avenues, and the second will involve installing a 13,000-gallon tank at the intersection of Cedar and Summit avenues.

Feist says the CSO tank projects are all part of the city’s Integrated Clean Water Plan, which prioritizes projects based on their positive environmental impact to the river. 

“We’re seeing a large bulk of work moving forward right now, as we face a deadline in our discharge permit to get these projects done, in order to meet our environmental requirements,” she says. 

Feist adds that not only will the new tanks keep overflows from the Spokane River, but as they’re positioned underground, the above ground sites will be converted into park spaces for the public to enjoy.

City of Spokane Valley

The city of Spokane Valley is continuing construction on its $15.9 million Sullivan Road West Bridge project, says spokeswoman Carolbelle Branch. 

Branch says the project has $1.4 million in work to be completed within Sullivan Park and along the Centennial Trail, including sidewalk and trail restoration, landscape irrigation systems, plantings, and site cleanup. The project is expected to be completed this summer.  

Including the completion of the Sullivan Road West Bridge project, Branch says the city has 10 larger projects planned for this year, with an estimated total cost of $14 million. 

She says this spring the city plans to start several city streets projects that will finish this fall.

One of those projects is a $2 million Euclid Avenue reconstruction, set to go out for bids later this month. For that project, Spokane County will be installing a new sewer line in Euclid Avenue, and the city will then reconstruct Euclid Avenue between Flora and Barker roads.

Additional projects set to start this spring include a $2.1 million Sullivan and Euclid concrete intersection project and two $2 million projects involving Appleway Trail. 

The Sullivan/Euclid concrete intersection project will replace existing asphalt with concrete at the Sullivan and Euclid intersection, along with replacing the intersection’s corner curb ramps. This project is expected to go out for bids later this month.

 One of the Appleway Trail projects will create a new 12-foot wide shared-use trail, just south of Second Avenue beginning at Sullivan and ending at Corbin Road. That project has yet to go out for bids.

The other, $1.68 million Appleway Trail project has been awarded to T. LaRiviere Equipment & Excavation, of Coeur d’Alene. It will create a new 12-foot wide shared-use trail between Pines and Evergreen roads. 

Branch says both Appleway Trail projects will involve adding landscaping, as well as park amenities such as trash containers, benches, and trail lighting.

Branch says the city also has several street resurfacing projects set to begin this summer and to conclude in the fall. 

One is a $950,000 project that will involve resurfacing Indiana Avenue, beginning at Mirabeau Parkway and ending at Evergreen Road. Set to go out for bids next month, the project also will include upgrades to curb ramps. 

The other project is a $900,000 reconstruction and resurfacing of Saltese Road between Houk and 24th avenues. This project will go out for bids in May. 

The final $770,000 project will involve resurfacing Mission Avenue between Pines to McDonald roads. Set to go out for bids this May, the project also will include upgrades to curb ramps. 

Branch says the city also has several sidewalk and safety improvement projects set to take place over the summer. These include a $573,000 intersection safety project at the Pines Road and Grace Avenue intersection and a $437,000 sidewalk improvement project along Bowdish Road. Both of those projects are expected to go out for bids this May. 

Spokane County’s capital improvement program for this year includes about $15 million in construction costs, and $6.5 million for road preservation and maintenance projects, says Wendy Iris, interim construction engineer for Spokane County. 

Iris says the county plans two bridge replacement projects this year. One is the $750,000 Ritchey Road bridge replacement, which went to bid last year but isn’t scheduled to begin construction until next month. Set to be completed this fall, the project will replace the bridge at south Richey Road where it spans Deep Creek just south of U.S. 2. 

The other bridge project is the removal and replacement of the Monroe Road Bridge that crosses Dragoon Creek about 2 1/2 miles southwest of Deer Park. Iris says this project is expected to go to bid soon, but construction might not begin until 2018.  

Later this spring, Iris says, the county also plans a $2 million road maintenance project for Market Street between Huston and Lincoln streets. The project includes restoring the road’s surface, and adding sidewalk and storm water improvements. 

Iris says additional county projects this spring include a $500,000 Monroe swale project, which will add two new storm water swales to intersections, one along Wall Street between Francis Avenue and Monroe Street, and another at the intersection of north Country Homes Boulevard and Cedar streets.

This summer, the county will begin a $2 million road maintenance project along Monroe Street from Francis Avenue to Greta Avenue. 

Also this summer Iris says the county plans two larger resurfacing and restoration projects, one being a $1.25 million restoration of west Deno Road, from north Hayford Road to where it intersects north Old Trails Road. 

The second project will be a $750,000 resurfacing and restoration of Craig Road from where it meets Highway 902, to the Four Lakes area.

Next fall, Iris says, the county plans to start construction on two Bigelow Gulch Road projects. The first will involve the $7 million construction a new interchange at the intersection of North Forker Road and Bigelow Gulch Road, as well as additional culvert and roadway embankment work. The other, also a $7 million project, will realign Bigelow Gulch Road between north Old Argonne Road and north Evergreen Road.