City to vote on project bids for Wellesley, A intersection

A traffic circle at Wellesley Avenue and A Street and creation of two one-way arterials on Thor and Freya streets in the East Central Neighborhood are slated for construction as early as this spring.

Spokane Rock Products Inc. is the low bidder on the two long-sought traffic improvements to city neighborhoods.

The City Council is expected to vote to approve the bids and authorize contracts at its 3:30 p.m. Monday meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall.

If approved, the bids set the stage for construction work this spring, said Tom Arnold, director of engineering services.

Planning for both projects dates back several years. Both are intended to improve vehicle flow and safety.

Spokane Rock Products submitted a bid of $628,000 for construction of the traffic circle, which includes a widening of the intersection onto adjoining residential properties acquired by the city. Arnold said the construction bid does not include real estate and other development costs for the project.

He told the council he would give a briefing on full project costs on Monday.

The bid was nearly 12 percent below an engineering estimate and reflected a competitive bidding environment as a new construction season arrives, Arnold said. Four other companies submitted bids. Inland Asphalt Co. of Spokane was the next lowest bidder at $667,000.

The project has been under consideration and planning for at least five years. “Anybody want to say, ‘yahoo’? We are finally getting to this project,” said Council President Dennis Hession.

Spokane Rock Products appeared to be the successful low bidder for reconstruction and realignment of Thor and Freya streets between Sprague and Hartson avenues. The company submitted a bid of $3.36 million, which was 17 percent below the engineering estimate. Three other bids were submitted. Poe Asphalt Paving Inc., with a branch in Post Falls, was the next lowest bidder at $3.56 million.

Federal funds are being used for the project.

Plans call for converting Freya to a one-way street northbound and Thor a one-way street southbound to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow through the busy commercial area and interchanges with Interstate 90. A new street carrying northbound traffic from Thor to Freya would be built at the south end of the project.

Improvements will include “bump-out” curbs at intersections to shorten pedestrian crossing distances. Sheridan Elementary School at 3737 E. Fifth Ave. lies along the Freya portion of the corridor. Engineers have said that walking across a one-way street is safer since traffic is coming from only one direction.