Getting There: Key northern Spokane County roadways set to receive much-needed attention

The growing communities of Otis Orchards and Colbert in northern Spokane County will soon have an easier time accessing local schools, parks and businesses on foot, by bike and behind the wheel.

North Harvard Road

Spokane County commissioners voted Tuesday to start the advertising process for contractor bids for the first phase of a transformative reconstruction project of Harvard Road that will transform the area into a multiuse thoroughfare.

Construction for the first phase is slated to begin later this year, with federal funding for the project coming through the National Highway Performance Program, the Surface Transportation Block Grant and the Congestion Management and Air Quality program, according to the county’s public works website.

County Commissioner Mary Kuney, who represents the Otis Orchards community, said the first phase will focus mostly on the preservation and maintenance of the roadway. The two driving lanes from the Spokane River Bridge to Trent Avenue will be repaved and receive a full-depth road base reconstruction.

“I would say roughly 90% of what we’re going to be doing this year gets incorporated into phase two,” Spokane County design engineer Jake Saxon said.

The second phase of the project, slated for 2026, will bring about a wide swath of changes that are not yet fully funded. The county plans to widen Harvard Road from Euclid Avenue to the railroad crossing near Trent Avenue, and broaden facilities for pedestrians and cyclists through a combination of sidewalks, a shared-use path and on-street bike lanes. A traffic light will be added to the Wellesley Avenue intersection, as will left turn lanes to allow for a safer, smoother flow of traffic, Saxon said. A roundabout also will be constructed at the Euclid Avenue intersection.

Kuney said she looks forward to hearing public input on the project from those in the neighborhood at a public open house that will be held later this year, once a contractor is attached to the project.

The bidding process for Phase 1 could begin as soon as Thursday, Saxon said. The first phase of the project s expected to cost around $2.7 million.

North Hatch Road

For years residents of Colbert have had to stagger along the unprotected gravel shoulder of the west side of bustling North Hatch Road to access Bidwell Park and Aquatic Center, oftentimes with towel in hand during the hotter months of the year. With few crosswalks in the area, those on foot often had to dart in between cars to access the sidewalk and park on the east side of the road.

The cracked, uneven roadway serves as the main access route for parents and buses headed to Midway Elementary School. The 25-year-old road sees around 7,500 travelers each day, according to the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board.

Those issues will begin to be addressed this spring during a two-phase sweeping reconstruction project made possible by a pair of multimillion-dollar grants from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board. Phase one is expected to cost around $2 million with the state grant accounting for 75% of the costs, and Spokane County paying about $500,000. Phase 2 is expected to cost around $3 million, and Spokane County secured a $2.43 million Transportation Improvement Board grant for the 2026 project.

The work set to begin in April will consist of fully replacing the road base and then repaving North Hatch Road from the Midway Road to Bridle Trail Road. A mixed-use pedestrian and bicycle path will be added to the west side of North Hatch Road, and a dry grass-covered stormwater management system will separate the path from the roadway.

“Those mixed-use pathways are something we’re looking at more and more with our projects,” Saxon said. “They’re a lot safer than on-street bike lanes.”

Pedestrians will have an easier time crossing the busy street thanks to a crosswalk that will be added at the Ballard Road intersection, complete with lighting, signage and a temporary pedestrian island, which will be made out of more permanent materials in Phase 2. The crosswalk closest to the elementary school also will be improved with lighting and signage and moved roughly 100 feet south to align with the Midway Road intersection.

“That’s one of the exciting things about this project, is not only do we get to repair this road that’s in pretty bad condition, but we get to improve access for bikes and pedestrians to some of those things like the aquatic park and the school nearby,” Saxon said.

The work slated for 2026 will continue the roadwork, path and stormwater management system projects north to the end of Bidwell Park and Aquatic Center. The crosswalk island at the Handy Road intersection will be rebuilt, signage and lighting will be added, as will a pedestrian island. The work on the pedestrian island constructed at the Ballard Road intersection in phase one also will be bolstered.

Colbert resident Charles Brennan, 29, lives in the neighborhood and said the improvements are much needed, especially as the area continues to grow. He, his wife and their two young children moved to the area in 2020 and have seen a development boom in the years since.

More growth is on the way for the area, with Spokane County approving building permits for a major commercial and residential development project on the vacant 28-acre property at the North Hatch Road and U.S. Highway 395 junction last October. The Village at Midway will boast almost 500 housing units, a miniature golf course, grocery store, gas station, multiple pools, sports courts, restaurants, more than a dozen retail spaces and a koi fish pond.

The project’s first phase is expected to begin breaking ground this summer with the construction of seven apartment buildings totaling 176 units and a clubhouse at an estimated cost of $55 million.

Brennan said he understands the appeal for developers and prospective families: There’s easy access to an aquatic center and park, an elementary school and soon, a middle school all within a square mile. It’s also got a more secluded feel while still having easy access to the Spokane.

However, Brennan said he still has concerns over how the development will transform the neighborhood.

“Part of the reason we moved up here from Spokane Valley was to find a quieter area,” Brennan said. “But it’s growing fast, that’s for sure.”