Marlene Feist, Director of Strategic Development, Public Works & Utilities, No Phone Number Available
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 2:57 p.m.
A new 1 million gallon underground, concrete tank to keep pollution out of the Spokane River will be under construction for about a year at the northwest corner of Lincoln Street and Summit Parkway in downtown.
The tank will be about 250 feet long and 55 feet wide. Work begins in April 2016 on the $6 million construction project and will continue into 2017. Garco Construction is the contractor on the project. Traffic impacts from the project will be limited to a few weeks when pipe connections have to be made in Monroe and Lincoln.
The project will help prevent overflows from combined wastewater and stormwater sewers from entering the river. In some parts of the City, wastewater and stormwater sewers are linked together and during periods of heavy rain or rapid snowmelt, these pipes can become overwhelmed and overflow to the river. Tanks like this store the excess water until the storm surge subsides and the water can be sent to the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility for treatment.
The project is part of the City’s Cleaner River Faster initiative. The City of Spokane is investing more than $300 million in projects to improve water quality in the Spokane River, including projects like this that reduce overflows from combined sewers along with major improvements at the City’s wastewater treatment plant and stormwater management projects.
After the project is complete, the site will once again be a dirt parking lot for a while and then serve as the staging area for a future construction project to replace the Post Street Bridge. Ultimately, the site will be beautified and perhaps include improved parking or other amenities that will tie into Riverfront Park.
The area around the site has become popular with pedestrians and cyclists using the new Centennial Trail connection that slips under the Monroe Street Bridge and continues into Kendall Yards.
Nearby, at the intersection of Monroe and Summit Parkway, a new traffic signal will be installed in 2016 that will allow for easier, safer access in this area for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. The signal will include pedestrian count-down timers and detectors that are sensitive enough to recognize when people on bikes or motorcycles want to cross.
