Another roundabout planned for Spokane Valley

Spokane Valley is about to get another roundabout.

This time, road construction crews will build the roundabout at the Barker Road and Interstate 90 interchange.

The agreement, between the Spokane Valley City Council and Washington State Department of Transportation, calls for the traffic measure at the corner of Barker Road and Cataldo Avenue.

The city indicates improvements at the existing Barker and I-90 interchanges are needed to handle heavy traffic, especially during the morning rush hour.

The main issue is that southbound traffic at the intersection can be backed up more than a quarter-mile in the morning, Spokane Valley’s engineer Bill Helbig told the council last year.

WSDOT requested Spokane Valley manage the engineering design phase of the westbound interchange and agreed to reimburse the city up to $900,000 for the design with “Connecting Washington” funds, which are paid for through a state gas tax increase implemented in 2016.

The westbound interchange project cost is an estimated $600,000, according to the city.

Spokane Valley approved a contract with Spokane-based engineering firm HDR for the design phase during a November council meeting.

The design phase is estimated for completion in August and WSDOT is expected to advertise construction bids for the project in September.

WSDOT is also designing improvements for the eastbound Barker and I-90 interchange on the south side of the freeway, which includes a roundabout and additional lanes. It is also considering replacement of the Barker bridge over I-90 in the future to meet height clearance requirements.