Getting There: Two road closures this summer to keep bridge, corridor healthy

The southbound lanes on Washington Street between North River Drive and Spokane Falls Boulevard will be closed for work on the Washington Street Bridge.

Starting Monday, drivers commuting south on Washington will be able to take a detour on West North River Drive, east of Division Street. Northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane;people driving north could experience backups.

Drivers are encouraged to take Division, Monroe and Ash streets if driving south toward the downtown area until the southbound lanes reopen in August.

Kirstin Davis, Spokane Public Works communications manager, said while the bridge is in good condition, the city wants to look at the expansion joints and work on resurfacing to keep it healthy.

Davis said the northbound lane will be the only lane open while the bridge is being worked on because the southbound lanes are being addressed first, and extra room for equipment is needed as well.

The project should be completed in August, but Davis said there is no set date yet because the city does not know how the project will flow.

An area on Wellesley Avenue, between Market and Freya streets, has been closed since May 28 due to an uncompleted project involving the North Spokane Corridor, said Ryan Overton, Washington State Department of Transportation communications manager.

Overton said the contractor did not have time to complete the project before the temperatures dropped last year, so the closure will allow for painting stripes, overhead bridge work, redoing the drainage and permanent signage.

The same section was closed in 2019, and the same detour route is being used, he said. The area is expected to be open June 28.