Date:  Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Contact: Al Gilson, Public Information Officer
WSDOT Eastern Region
2714 N. Mayfair
Spokane, WA  99207
(509) 324-6015
gilsona@wsdot.wa.gov

The first project funded under the TIGER grant program is getting ready for construction. Contractor bids were opened last Thursday, April 29, 2010, on the NSC/Francis to Farwell-Southbound Lanes project.

Four bids were received on the project and all were priced under the engineer’s estimate of $27,417,410. The bids are currently under review for full compliance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) requirements as specified in the contract. The final selection of the apparent low bidder should be determined within a few days.

This project is funded through the Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. It is the first TIGER project in the nation to open bids. Just $1.5 billion was made available under this program with over 1,400 projects totaling over $50 billion submitted from all 50 states. The NSC work was submitted along with two other projects in Washington State in a national competitive process for funding. The TIGER grant is a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Construction is expected to start in summer 2010 with completion in late 2011. This work is expected to support more than 100 jobs during construction.

The project, US 395-NSC/Francis Avenue to Farwell Road-Southbound Lanes, adds three lanes, creating a fully divided freeway, in this 3.7 mile segment. Traffic is already flowing on the completed northbound side of this portion of the NSC with one lane in each direction. Along with the added lanes, the new project will construct five new bridges to carry southbound traffic over local roads.

Environmental studies for the North Spokane Corridor began in 1991 and were approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 1997, clearing the way for design and construction to begin. Construction started in 2001 with the first grading contract. A series of eight large building contracts began in 2004 with the last two still underway.

When this job and the two-mile segment that is now under construction from Farwell to Wandermere, are coupled with the already completed northbound Francis to Farwell segment, over half of the 10-mile North Spokane Corridor will be operational.

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