Turn Lane Will Ease Congestion On Francis

Drivers who access Indian Trail Road from Francis Avenue will get a break next year.

Engineers are planning a new $275,000 turn lane for the intersection. The lane will let drivers heading west on Francis turn north onto Indian Trail without stopping for a signal light.

“That hopefully will smooth out the intersection,” said Jerry Sinclair of the city’s capital programs department. “We have high congestion there.”

The project is being designed by the city but will be constructed by the state Department of Transportation.

Dick Raymond, city public works director, said the job will upgrade the intersection past its current failing level of service.

According to the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, an “F” rating is given to any intersection where drivers must wait longer than 60 seconds during peak afternoon rush times.

Numbers show just how busy the Francis and Indian Trail intersection is. On an average weekday, 28,900 cars reach Francis at Indian Trail. Only 12,100 make it to the other side.

That’s because most turn north onto Indian Trail, Sinclair said.

Construction on the improvement should begin next spring sometime, and will take about a month to complete.

Another Indian Trail project, a widening of the road from 44 feet to 65 feet, is still in the works.

“We’re still on schedule to begin construction next spring,” Sinclair said.

The road will be widened from Kathleen to Ridgecrest with curbs, sidewalks and bike lanes.

Construction on that project was supposed to begin this year, but was delayed because the new Indian Trail Road took longer to design than engineers originally thought.

The design snag came when engineers had to work around the fact that homes along Indian Trail were built at different elevations.

Designers thought it would make more sense to delay construction so that it could be completed during one construction season instead of two.

, DataTimes