City Launches 2021 Construction Season

Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager, 509.625.7773

Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 1:14 p.m.

The City of Spokane today launched its $70 million construction season, featuring work designed to aid the community with economic recovery following the pandemic and a project on Sprague Avenue that will complete work on that corridor all the way to Division Street.

“This year’s investment in public infrastructure will help our community during this year of recovery and renewal,” says Mayor Nadine Woodward. “Our projects will support critical utility needs and assist the traveling public—including motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians—while putting members of our community to work.”

The $70 million investment in construction includes $40 million in new work and another $30 million in projects continuing from last year that will improve streets, protect the Spokane River, and invest in the City’s critical water and sewer systems.

The most visible new project is the complete reconstruction of East Sprague Avenue from Division east to Grant, which will get under way on April 19. With this project, the City will complete improvements on the Sprague corridor from Stone all the way to Division. The section of Sprague will be closed during construction with crews working in an area with considerable rock and the low BNSF railroad viaduct at Division. Businesses along the stretch will be open, and the City is encouraging citizens to continue to visit them during construction.

Other new projects include:

  • Build out of the Centennial Trail through West Central. Starting at Summit and Boone and continuing to link up with Pettet Drive at West Point Road, this project will create a 10- to 12-foot path along the already-signed Centennial Trail route through this area.
  • A new sidewalk on North River Drive from Division to Washington streets, leading to the new east entrance to Riverfront Park.
  • Work to repair the north suspension pedestrian bridge in Riverfront Park.
  • The start of series of projects to manage stormwater from what’s called the Cochran Basin, the largest stormwater basin in the City that sends around 350 million to 500 million gallons of stormwater to Spokane River annually. In 2022, the City will rebuild TJ Meenach Drive from the bridge to Northwest Boulevard as part of this work.

Those new projects will join the economic recovery plan and other work that is continuing from 2020. Last spring, the City added $10 million in street maintenance work, contracted out to the private sector, to be done during 2020 and 2021 to provide a boost to economic activity. That work includes grind and overlay and chip seal projects distributed throughout the City to benefit many residents and businesses.

The continuing projects also include:

  • The replacement of the 104-year-old Post Street Bridge. Work over the last year has focused on reinforcing the historic arches, but demolition of the rest of the bridge will get under way soon.
  • Work on the final two intersections as part of a project to upgrade signals and add dedicated left-turn pockets on the Hamilton corridor from North Foothills south to Desmet.
  • The second phase of work on the South Gorge Trail project in Peaceful Valley, helping to complete another leg of the envisioned Great Gorge Loop Trail. With this phase, the new trail will run from Sandifur Bridge to Redband Park

Finally, the City’s Street Department also will work all summer to improve streets with grind overlay work. Here’s their list for 2021:

  • Hartson from Freya to Myrtle
  • 4th/Freeway from Walnut to Monroe
  • Garland from Alberta to Ash
  • Rowan from Addison to Nevada
  • Rowan from Assembly to Driscoll
  • Thorpe from the City limits to Westwood
  • Havana from Hartson to 3rd
  • Hamilton from Desmet to North Foothills
  • Howard from Mallon to Sharp
  • Indian Trail from Barnes to Navaho

Street obstructions that will impact the traveling public are updated at least weekly and are available on the City’s web site.