November 2009
•
Opened to traffic on August 22, 2009. •
There are changes at the Farwell Road/Crestline Street intersection. The details are here.
• See the
Weekly Construction Update • The sixth and final contract in this series, BNSF Railroad Tunnel, was awarded to Scarsella Bros. of Seattle with a bid of $17,294,960. Construction is underway.
• The fifth contract in this series, Freya to Farwell Road, was awarded to Acme Concrete Paving of Spokane with a bid of $19,490.000. Construction is underway.
• The fourth contract in this series, Freya to Fairview Vicinity, was awarded to Steelman-Duff with a construction bid of $10,571,218. Construction is complete.
• The third contract in this series, Francis to US 2 Structures was awarded to the Max J. Kuney Company of Spokane with a bid of $17,235,525. Construction is complete.
• Work is complete on the first contract, Farwell Lowering and Bridges, and second contract, Gerlach to Wandermere Grading.
• This project is funded from the 2003 Legislative Transportation Package. Construction is underway on the two contracts with all four contracts expected to be complete by late 2008.
Why is WSDOT
building the North Spokane Corridor?
This project addresses the need for a major improvement to allow motorists and freight to move through metropolitan Spokane along the corridor from I-90 to US 395 at Wandermere. The needs of the corridor are indicated by increasing congestion and other operational and safety issues on the existing street network. The project will provide a facility for balanced transportation including park and ride lots to support transit and vanpooling operations, as well as an expanded and enhanced pedestrian/bicycle facility. Right of way will also be reserved for possible light rail use.
The End Result
When completed, the North Spokane Corridor will be a 60-mile per hour, limited access highway with a direct connection to I-90 just west of the existing Thor/Freya Interchange. Other interchanges will be placed at locations such as Trent Avenue (SR 290), Wellesley Avenue, Francis / Freya Street, Parksmith Drive, US 2, and US 395 at Wandermere. Constructs two lanes of the North Spokane Corridor between Farwell Road and Francis Avenue. Provides a new road between these two major county roads and completes the grading between US 2 and Wandermere. This project will increase capacity and reduce travel time. There will be two lanes when this project is completed. This project is one component of the 10.5-mile North Spokane Corridor and will be comprised of four major construction contracts.
Project Benefits
Consider the following benefits:
- Able to travel between Wandermere and I-90 in less than 12 minutes.
- A free flowing facility which doesn't have conflicts with schools, parks, shopping areas or pedestrians. But has reasonable access to these areas.
- Fewer trucks will be on the local streets because they will use the freeway for north/south through movements.
- Cleaner air because you aren't stopping at intersections along the way.
- A safe bike/pedestian corridor which connects to other established bikepaths as well as the neighborhoods along the way.
- Increased jobs due to construction spending in the community and increased economic vitality.
What is the project timeline?
Design efforts have been underway on segments of this project for several years. In 2002, a drainage and grading contract was completed in the vicinity of Hawthorne Road to Farwell Road. During the 2003 legislative session, construction funding was allocated to this project. Right-of-Way acquisition, design work is underway on the project with construction underway on the first contract.
Construction contracts within this project comprise the following:
- Farwell Road Lowering -This contract changes the elevation of Farwell Road to accommodate the freeway facility. Four bridges over Farwell Road will then be constructed. This contract is complete.
- Gerlach to Wandermere -This contract consists of earthwork to construct the basic freeway configuration from the vicinity of US 2 north to the existing US 395 facility at Wandermere and from Hawthorne Road south to Fairview Road. This contract is complete.
- Francis to US 2 Structures - This contract constructs five bridges for the freeway facility from the vicinity of Perry Road to Fairview Road. This contract is complete.
- Francis to US 2 Grading (3 contracts included in this phase) - This project will provide a drivable link from Francis Avenue to Farwell Road.
This phase was originally planned to be built in one contract. However, in order to better manage cost escalation and other risk items, WSDOT decided to construct it in 3 separate contracts:
Freya to Fairview Vicinity Grading & Structures - 4A
This project finishes the mainline grading from Fairview to Francis Avenue vicinity, constructs bridges at Lincoln Road and Gerlach Road, and constructs County/City street improvements related to the NSC. The work is complete.
Freya to Farwell PCCP Paving - 4B
This project improves the SR 2/Farwell Road intersection, widens Farwell to 5 lanes and paves the mainline grade south to Francis Avenue vicinity. The job is complete.
BNSF Railroad Tunnel - 4C
This project constructs a 1200 foot railroad tunnel in the Market/Hawthorne vicinity. This contract is nearly complete.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources:
- 2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding) - $181.7 million
- Existing Funds $8.6 million
- Other Agencies $154,000
- Total Funding Available From All Sources - $190.5 million
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Design Project Engineer Larry Larson
WSDOT Project Office
2714 N. Mayfair
Spokane, WA 99207
Phone: (509) 324-6091
E-mail: SR395NSC@wsdot.wa.gov
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