RIVERS – At a meeting today, officials from the City of Spokane Valley pledged to improve the boater access to the Spokane River at the site of the new Barker Road bridge.

“The work will begin in March,” said Terry Miller of the Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club. He was one of several people at the meeting of parties involved in overseeing the construction project.

Also at the meeting with city engineers were representatives from agencies such as Department of Ecology and state parks.

“They plan to hire contractors to knock down the hill, remove about 100 cubic yards of material, flaten the area and then come in with landscaping a trail down to the beach,” Miller said.

They also plan to move the barriers back about 20 feet so a vehicle can more easily back a raft or other light craft closer to the river, Miller said.

The $11 million project has been criticized for fouling the river with erosion and reducing rather than improving the critical access it has provided for paddlers and anglers.