Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager, 509.625.7773 & Fianna Dickson, Communications Manager, 509.625.6297
Monday, June 3, 2024 at 1:44 p.m.
City of Spokane will celebrate three projects that combine multi-modal access with stunning views of the Spokane River. The reopening of the Post St. Bridge, the completion of the south gorge connecting point underneath the Monroe St. Bridge, and the south suspension bridge allowing pedestrian travel within Riverfront Park from the south gorge shoreline to snx? mene? island, formerly known as Canada Island.
A Gateway to the Gorge Celebration event will happen Wednesday, June 5 at 11:30 a.m. on the Post St. Bridge. The public is invited to the news conference with various speakers and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“The completion of these projects gives our community the opportunity to celebrate and is a great reminder of the beauty surrounding us every day,” says Mayor Lisa Brown. “The ability to take in these views while we work and play is a gift.”
Post St. Bridge Rebuild Project
The Post Street Bridge spans the Spokane River between its two sets of magnificent falls. The architecture is considered a concrete open spandrel deck arch bridge. In May 2019, the Post Street Bridge was closed to all vehicular traffic, following a structural analysis that determined the bridge could not safely continue to carry the weight of vehicles. The City had been planning for a rebuild with various funding sources, and for approximately one year, it was used exclusively by bicyclists and pedestrians. In May 2020, work began to rebuild the bridge that connects Riverfront Park and downtown to the north bank. Beginning Wednesday afternoon, for the first time in four years, pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars will be able to cross the Spokane River on Post St. and connect to west Bridge Ave. and north Lincoln St. on the north bank.
The rebuilt bridge will accommodate one lane of northbound vehicle traffic, a protected bike lane on the west side, and a pedestrian path to the east. Vehicle lanes will be separated from the pedestrian and bike lanes with large planter boxes and benches for people to take in the falls in both directions. Additionally, an unsightly sewer pipe that hung on the outside of the bridge was replaced with a 60-inch pipe and tucked underneath the bridge for a more scenic view.
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South Gorge Trail Connection
Suspended underneath the south end of the Monroe St. Bridge, there is now a platform that hangs through one of the iconic spandrel arches allowing pedestrians, bicyclists, and others to continue on the Great Gorge Loop Trail without being impeded by the complex intersection of Main Ave, Spokane Falls Blvd. and Monroe St. This project completes the Great Gorge Loop Trail, a three-plus mile route traveling through Riverfront Park, Kendall Yards, over the Sandifur Memorial Bridge, through Peaceful Valley, by Redband Park, and under the south end of the Monroe St. Bridge to the Place of Truths Plaza.
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South Suspension Bridge – Riverfront Park
In preparation for the Expo ’74 50th Celebration, reconstruction of the south suspension pedestrian bridge in Riverfront Park was completed in the fall, and opened to the public once weather permitted in April. The south suspension bridge received repairs including a new deck, repair/replacement of corroded steel floor beams, railing modifications, and repair/replacement of lighting and electrical components similar to the north suspension bridge in 2021-2022.
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