Getting There: Latah Valley and South Hill drivers may see significant delays during construction

Drivers in parts of the Latah Valley and South Hill will have to contend with some major traffic detours for months due to city construction starting this week.

Cheney-Spokane Road will be fully closed starting Tuesday until sometime in October from just south of the retail area near U.S. Highway 195 down to Cedar Road. Businesses will remain open and accessible during construction.

Though a relatively small stretch of road, with relatively few cross streets, this construction will spell major detours for residents of the Eagle Ridge and Qualchan areas, relying on winding routes through the suburban neighborhoods south to West Eagle Ridge Boulevard.

The construction is the final part to affect traffic of the Marshall Road water transmission main project, which started in March and aims to improve system capacity and connect water services to a number of local parcels in the quickly growing area. Speed reductions will be in place on Highway 195 between Hatch and Qualchan roads, with flaggers in place for morning commuters at the highway’s intersection with Meadow Lane Road Mondays through Fridays from 6 to 9 a.m.

South Hill residents also will have some significant traffic impacts this week due to the closure of Regal Street between 29th and 34th avenues while the street is paved. The city anticipated significant congestion between Ray and Ivory streets, and drivers are encouraged to detour to parallel streets.