Lincoln Street work begins

The long-awaited reconstruction of Lincoln Street south of 17th Avenue begins this morning in a four-month project that will add a new environmental element to Spokane streets: storm water gardens.

Traffic will be closed during construction on what arguably has become the most dilapidated street in Spokane, especially in the vicinity of Wilson Elementary School at 25th and Lincoln.

Work was postponed last year, in part, to develop a reconstruction plan that included neighborhood input for the innovative storm water collection areas to be installed at curbside.

Contractors will rebuild the roadbed from the ground up between 17th and 29th avenues and add a storm water collection system to reduce runoff going to the city’s sewer plant. The system will also provide a source of recycled water for the pond at Cannon Hill Park.

Runoff will go into narrow planter areas that will treat pollutants and allow any excess amounts of the treated water to drain downhill to the park pond.

That in turn will reduce the need for fresh drinking water used to maintain pond level. Parks officials reported that they use 26 million gallons of water a year.

The planting areas will have vegetation suited to the dry and wet cycles expected in the so-called storm water gardens, said Ann Deasy, spokeswoman for the city’s Public Works Department.

Cross-street access is being maintained adjacent to the school.

MDM Construction of Hayden won the bidding and has a $1.77 million contract for the work.

Funding is coming from a 10-year, $117 million street repair bond issue approved by voters in 2004. Lincoln is one of seven major street reconstructions on tap for this season. The others are:

•37th Avenue from Grand Boulevard to Perry Street.

•Hatch Road from 54th to 57th avenues.

•Second Avenue from Division Street to Sunset Boulevard.

•Nevada Street from North Foothills Drive to Wellesley Avenue.

•Wellesley Avenue from Division to Maple streets.

•Northwest Boulevard from Maple to Alberta streets.

“We’ve got so much work we’ve got to get it going,” said project manager Steve Sather.

The other projects are set to begin later in May and June. Several residential street paving projects are also planned.

Construction map

The 2010 Spokane Regional Road Construction map is available at srtc.org or at Web sites of Spokane, Spokane Valley and Spokane County. Printed versions are also available at Spokane City Hall, Spokane city libraries and the second floor of the Spokane County Public Works Building.

Drop-in meetings

To give residents an idea of the construction work they can expect this season, city officials are holding a series of informational meetings at three locations around the city next week.

All of the drop-in meetings will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

They are planned for April 6 at West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St., April 7 at Northeast Youth Center, 2121 E. Wabash Ave., and April 8 at East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone St.

Time to lose the studs

Wednesday is the last day that studded tires can be driven legally in Washington state. The fine for using studded tires out of season is $124.

Highway work

Work also begins today on a section of state Highway 27 where it crosses Pine Creek near Farmington, Wash.

That low-lying stretch of highway has been prone to flooding with intermittent closures, especially during rapid snow runoff.

The existing timber-supported bridge will be replaced with a concrete girder bridge and the road grade will be raised to eliminate the flooding closures.

Near the end of construction, the highway will be closed and traffic detoured onto Tekoa-Farmington Road and Belmont-Farmington Road. Completion is expected later this year.

Thompson Bros. Excavating Inc. won the prime contract at $2.3 million.