Getting There: I-90 construction squeezes eastbound traffic

Maintenance and repair work on the eastbound side of Interstate 90 will slow traffic leaving the downtown area starting Monday.

A contractor is closing part of the freeway to begin a repair project on bridge expansion joints and concrete panels as part of maintaining the heavily traveled freeway.

Traffic will be reduced to two eastbound lanes starting Monday from Division Street to the Altamont Street interchange.

West Company Inc., of Airway Heights, got a $1.6 million state contract for the work. The freeway bridges over Third Avenue at Liberty Park and the downtown viaduct will be getting the repairs.

“Drivers should expect congestion on eastbound I-90, especially during commute hours,” said Al Gilson, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation in Spokane.

The freeway already sees backups during commute hours with all lanes open.

The eastbound lane reductions will continue through May 26.

All lanes will reopen for the heavy Memorial Day driving period.

After Memorial Day, traffic will be reduced to two lanes both eastbound and westbound until June 22, when the project is expected to be completed.

In addition to the lane closures, the eastbound Altamont off-ramp will be closed.

Gilson said drivers should seek alternate routes.

Those include Second, Third, Trent and Mission avenues.

Highways and interstates

On U.S. Highway 395 near Deer Park, surveyors will be lining up roundabout projects on Tuesday starting at 9 a.m. Lane restrictions will be accompanied by flaggers to direct traffic until about 3 p.m.

The state Highway 25 bridge over the Columbia River at Northport is down to one lane with traffic controlled by a signal light. Corrosion repairs are being designed before work can be undertaken.

I-90 southwest of Spokane from the Fishtrap interchange to Sprague Lake continues to have rough pavement that will need repair work.

A one-lane bridge has been installed on the North Fork of the Sanpoil River following a washout earlier this year.

Construction continues for two freeway bridges at Freya Street north of Francis Avenue for the North Spokane Corridor. Also, the state is working on side streets to prepare them for the new freeway.

Also, sidewalks are being built on U.S. Highway 395 in Colville and on state Highway 904 in Cheney.

U.S. 395 remains closed and under detour at Matsen Creek in Stevens County due to another washout.

Spokane County

In Spokane County, several major projects are underway on the North Side.

Market Street from Houston Avenue to Lincoln Road has lane closures starting Thursday in both directions as part of a project to rebuild and repave the busy street.

New sidewalks, curbs, ramps, catch basins, drywells, swales and sewer pipe are part of the project, which will end with complete repaving.

The project will run through July.

A similar project is underway on Monroe Street from Francis to Wall Street and then up Wall to Greta Avenue. New curbs, sidewalks, catch basins, drywells and sewer pipe will be installed prior to repaving.

The project will run through June.

The county is also replacing a bridge on Ritchey Road.

The county still has 10 sections of rural roads closed due to washouts and flooding in late winter and early spring.

Country Homes Boulevard from Wall to Division streets will have flaggers to control traffic at times. Work there centers around getting median plants established.

The city

In Spokane, a major street project on 37th Avenue moves to its next stage.

The intersection of 37th and Freya Street reopened last week, but now 37th is closed between Freya and Ray streets.

The intersection of 37th and Ray will remain open.

The $4.8 million project will rebuild the road and add curbs, sidewalks, bike lanes, stormwater pipe and a 36-inch water main.

Elsewhere in the city, numerous stormwater tank projects are causing traffic detours.

In one of the largest of the tank installations, Spokane Falls Boulevard remains closed between Lincoln and Monroe streets for an extended project to install a stormwater holding tank and plaza on top of it.

Elsewhere, lane closures are expected on Division and Browne streets from Third Avenue to Spokane Falls Boulevard.

The $3.5 million job involves curb and sidewalk replacements, stormwater updates, asphalt patching, landscaping and electrical conduit.

Work has restarted on the extension of Martin Luther King Jr. Way from Sherman to Erie streets on the south bank of the Spokane River.

Sprague Avenue is closed from Napa to Altamont streets for realigning and improving the street through the Sprague business district.

The project currently is in its first phase. It will include full street reconstruction, partial sidewalk replacement, bumpouts, landscaping, pedestrian lighting and utility replacement.