Getting There: Work on the Thor-Freya Corridor picks up again with more closures

In 2022, the city of Spokane spent nearly $9 million on the reconstruction of parts of Freya and Thor streets, replacing asphalt with more durable concrete. High-traffic roads in east central Spokane closed, businesses struggled with declining customers, construction crews dealt with vandalism and thefts, and construction continued two months longer than expected.

The Thor-Freya Corridor construction project finished in December 2022 – mostly.

“We did not do the intersections, the concrete intersections at Second and Third with Thor and Freya,” Marlene Feist, public works director with the city, said in a Friday interview.

Now, there’s a Phase 2.

Thor-Freya Corridor Phase 2 construction begins Monday and is expected to finish this fall.

“The Thor-Freya Corridor is a busy corridor, and so we are putting in concrete intersections where they meet with Second and Third avenues, which will be longer lasting than asphalt,” Feist said.

Second Avenue will close between Thor Street and Freya Street starting at 6 a.m. as construction crews rebuild the Second Avenue intersections with concrete. The westbound Interstate 90 exit ramp 283B will also close.

Rerouting drivers on I-90 have some options.

“They can get off at Broadway, they can get off at Sprague or they can wait and get off at Altamont to avoid that construction area,” Feist said.

Work on the Second Avenue intersections is expected to last 10 weeks, through early June. Then construction will switch to the Third Avenue intersections with Thor and Freya streets.

In addition to reconstruction, the intersections will receive sewer and stormwater improvements.

Feist said having a second phase in the Thor-Freya project made the work more manageable.

“We separated out the intersections on Thor and Freya at 2nd and 3rd from the 2022 work because we wouldn’t have gotten all of that work done in a single construction season,” she said in an email.

The newest Thor-Freya work will cost around $4.4 million, bringing the total capital spent in the area to over $13 million. And there’s more to be spent.

“We have one more project in this area in our six-year capital transportation plan,” Feist said.

That project, set for 2025 or 2026, would rehabilitate Thor/Ray Street between 17th and Hartson avenues, which would cost about $3.1 million.

Work to watch for

Haven Street is reduced to one lane between Columbia and Rockwell avenues.

North Sky Communications work on the eastbound curb lane of Broadway Avenue from Alki Way to Havana Street and the southbound curb lane of Havana Street from Boone to Broadway avenues will finish up Tuesday.

Havana Street’s northbound curb lane from Main to Ferry avenues will remain closed through March 29.

Sprague Avenue’s eastbound curb lane between Lee and Stone streets and westbound curb lane between Cook and Stone streets are closed through April 5 for Cameron-Reilly work.

Through April 9, Second Avenue will have lane closures from Perry Street to Sprague Way, and the Second Avenue off-ramp from Hamilton to Arthur streets will have lane closures for Avista Utilities work.

Crestline street is reduced to one lane between Walton and Gordon avenues.

Crews are working on the Greene Street Bridge and Freya Way Bridge, weather permitting, causing lane closures.