Local rest stop faces closure

Seagulls aren’t such bird brains after all.

Even they seem to know there’s nothing happening at the Interstate 90 Spokane River Rest Area on the Washington-Idaho border.

Though ubiquitous at other Washington rest stops where they troll the trash cans and picnic tables for food, not a seagull was in sight Friday afternoon at the Spokane River Rest Area.

Despite the onset of the highly traveled Memorial Day weekend, there weren’t many cars there, either.

No wonder the Washington State Department of Transportation plans to close the rest stop sometime this fall or winter.

The Spokane River Rest Area gets just 10 percent of the traffic of other Eastern Washington rest areas, say DOT spokesman Al Gilson.

The latest figures show that in 2001 just 48,000 people stopped there compared to 462,000 at the Sprague Lake Rest Area.

“Its usage is very, very low, and it’s in an urban area. At every exit interchange there’s full services,” Gilson said.

And there’s the rub.

When the rest stop was built back in 1973, there wasn’t much out in those parts. Now development stretches almost continuously along I-90 between Spokane and Post Falls.

That means plenty of gas stations and restaurants where people can take a break and hit the bathroom.

Spokane resident Scott Lawrence stopped at the rest area Friday for just the second time in the eight years he’s traveled the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene route.

“I guess I can understand it,” Lawrence said of the impending closure. “It’s so close to Spokane and Post Falls.”

The rest area could be saved in part if the Spokane County Parks and Recreation Department finalizes a deal to lease it from the state.

The Parks Department just purchased Spokane River property adjacent to the rest area and Centennial Trail so the restrooms could be used by trail and park visitors during the warmer months.

But Gilson said it wouldn’t be accessible from the freeway.

In the mean time, if you stop at the rest area in the next few months, check out the Spokane County Pioneer Society’s 1946 monument by the northeast parking lot.

Turns out the pit stop is just 600 feet south of where Spokane County’s first post office stood and the first bridge over the Spokane River.

Washout

The May 21 Spokane County tornado, hailstorm and downpour may already be a distant memory in some folks’ minds, but county road crews are still cleaning up the mess.

Not far off Highway 195 near the Whitman County line, Cheney-Plaza Road is washed out.

That’s what more than an inch of rain in an hour will do, said Gerry Gemmill, Spokane County’s public works director.

“We haven’t got it quite fully opened yet. They have a kind of cow trail through it, kind of a one-laner,” Gemmill said.

The road was built to withstand a 10-20 year flood event, but not the 100-year type event that took place, said Spokane County Engineer Ross Kelley.

Repairing the damage there could cost as much as $100,000, said Kelley.

He adds that’s not counting the damage elsewhere in the county. Fixing other washouts and road damage caused by the storm could cost another $100,000.

The county is tallying up the damage and will see if it is eligible for Federal Emergency Management Administration funds to fix it.

Moose and wolf

Local artist Bill Sanders created four metal sculptures that were installed last week at Spokane International Airport.

The moose and three wolves were donated to the airport by Nancy and Nicole Santschi-Apodaca in honor of their parents.

At least this airport entry feature doesn’t have water like the ill-fated basalt fountain, which required repairs that doubled its cost.

But what about a squirrel?

Bridge station

Motorists who take the Maple Street Bridge downtown may be wondering what’s going on at the once parklike traffic island near Browne’s Addition.

Crews are building a new firehouse to replace the one the Spokane Fire Department has outgrown just two blocks east.

Most of the traffic problems caused by the project are over now, although traffic is still reduced to one lane heading downtown.

Not getting there

Crews will begin Tuesday paving Mt. Spokane Park Drive between the park entrance and Bruce Road. Flaggers will control traffic over the course of the week if the weather is dry enough to permit the work. Expect delays of 15-20 minutes.