Post Falls to begin Spokane Street project
POST FALLS – A major Post Falls north-south route will shut down in part early next month when the city’s Street Department begins work to rebuild a portion of Spokane Street on the north side of town.
The portion of Spokane Street between 16th and Poleline Avenues is currently a mess of misaligned curbs and sidewalks that present a challenge for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
“It happened over a number of years. It’s one of those things that happens when you don’t know what your whole plan is,” said Post Falls Public Works Director Terry Werner.
As each section of the roadway was built, each engineer at the time had a different idea of where the curb should go.
Post Falls crews will rebuild Spokane Street from 16th Avenue to 19th Avenue, paving a northbound lane, southbound lane, center-turn lane and bike lanes as well as building new curbs and sidewalks, said Post Falls Streets Superintendent Jim Porter. The project will cost between $90,000 and $100,000.
“We plan on starting the first week of May,” Porter said.
During construction Spokane Street will be closed from 15th Avenue to north of 19th Avenue during the day. Only vehicles headed toward addresses inside the project area will be allowed inside. All other traffic will be detoured.
The official detour will be along Compton Street, but since that route runs through a residential neighborhood, drivers headed to points farther north or south may want to use Chase Road or Idaho Road instead.
“People should find alternate routes,” Porter said. “I would prefer that people go all the way to Chase.”
Spokane Street will be opened to traffic at night.
The full project won’t be finished this year.
“It’s a money issue,” said Porter of the city’s plan to complete only half of the Spokane Street project.
Next year Post Falls’ Street Department will finish rehabilitating Spokane Street between 19th Avenue and Poleline Avenue.
Werner said that other Post Falls street projects this year include pavement overlays in the Sundance Meadows area, an asphalt overlay on Ponderosa Boulevard between Spencer and Ross Point and other general repairs.