Maple/Ash reconstruction makes room for parking

Residents who live along Ash and Maple streets in Spokane will get to keep their on-street parking.

After a lobbying effort to keep the parking, the city has reversed its plan and will allow parking to remain after reconstruction work is completed this fall on Ash and Maple from Northwest Boulevard to near the Maple Street Bridge, city streets spokeswoman Ann Deasy said.

City engineers originally wanted to remove the parking because of the high number of collisions along those corridors, Deasy said.

“There were a few business owners that rallied together,” Deasy said. “The parking is now staying, so the project has changed a smidgen.”

The city expected the work on the two streets to cost $5.2 million. But the bid from Inland Asphalt Co. came in at about $4.2 million. Because of that, the city may extend the work from Broadway Avenue south to the Maple Street Bridge, she said.

The start date of the project has not yet been determined but is expected sometime in April, Deasy said. When construction begins, crews will close Ash and divert southbound traffic to Monroe Street. When Ash is done, Maple’s northbound traffic will be diverted to Monroe, she said.

“We also have a residential project around Belt Street which will start as soon as Ash is done,” Deasy said.

However, work has already started to replace water lines near the area of Boone Avenue, Maple Street and Broadway Avenue, she said. Maple Street will be reduced to one lane Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. so crews can work on those new water lines.

In addition, Boone will be reduced to one lane for eastbound motorists all week long and possibly longer. The detours will remain in place all hours, Deasy said.

The work on water lines is a precursor to the larger reconstruction of Ash and Maple, she said.

Similar work on water lines will start on Wall Street between Wellesley and Francis avenues. The work will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to avoid heavy traffic periods, Deasy said.

Big day for STA

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will tour the Spokane Transit Authority’s facilities. The purpose of the visit is to look at smart bus technology, which is being installed in the buses.

Murray helped secure about $700,000 in federal funding for the upgrades. STA also recently won a national “Success in Enhancing Ridership Award” from the Federal Transit Administration, one of 10 public transportation agencies in the nation to be recognized.

STA’s ridership increased 12 percent in 2007, according to a press release.

Construction season is here

Several Washington State Department of Transportation projects have begun that will translate into traffic slowdowns.

On Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., westbound Interstate 90 traffic will be reduced to one lane for work under the bridge on the I-90 Four Lakes interchange, WSDOT spokesman Al Gilson said.

North of Spokane, there will be intermittent lane restrictions as crews work on six new bridges for the North Spokane Freeway project north of Francis Avenue.

Minor bridge construction work is under way on Shady Slope and Perry Road structures that may cause some lane restrictions.

As part of the same freeway project, grading work is expected to begin today. As a result Freya Street will be closed in the vicinity of Wilding Road to Francis. Wilding Road will be closed to Julia Street, Gilson said.

Those closures are necessary as crews work to build bridges at Gerlach and Lincoln roads and complete earthwork between Freya and Fairview Road. The project will also realign portions of Freya and Fairvew and improve the Freya-Francis and Francis-Market Street intersections, Gilson said in a press release.

County commuters beware

Starting this week, crews will begin clearing trees along Dennison Chattaroy Road between U.S. 395 and U.S. 2, Spokane County construction engineer Paul Lennemann said.

“I’m clearing trees to facilitate utility relocation,” Lennemann said. “There might be the need for flaggers. And I’m anticipating a full closure of Dennison Chattaroy Road during the week of April 14.”

North Idaho slowdown

Crews have started maintenance on U.S. 95 in Coeur d’Alene from Neider to Hayden avenues. The highway will be reduced to one lane and commuters should expect delays of at least 15 minutes on weekdays until mid-May, according to the Idaho Department of Transportation.

The same roadway will have sporadic evening lane closures as needed to install video detection equipment on traffic signal crossarms in the U.S. 95 intersections with Neider, Bosanko, Kathleen, Dalton, Hanley, Canfield, Prairie and Hayden avenues.

When necessary, lane closures will occur between 7 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., according to the state’s Web site.

Action!

The production of the movie “Alicia’s Book” will cause more downtown traffic closures this week.

Today, Spokane Falls Boulevard from Post to Stevens streets, and Main Avenue from Howard to Wall streets will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Spokane Transit Authority and delivery trucks will be allowed access.

Then on Tuesday, the Stevens and Washington street couplet from North River Drive to Spokane Falls Boulevard will be closed from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Detours will be in place.

Studded tires revisited

Turns out Idaho residents have more time to use their studded tires than several law enforcement sources and an Idaho state transportation official originally reported last week.

Last week’s Getting There listed April 15 as the date for Idaho drivers to remove their studded tires. The actual date, according to the Idaho Transportation Department’s Web site, is April 30.

While acknowledging her mistake, ITD spokeswoman Barbara Babic pointed out that any Idaho drivers who commute into Washington still must follow the Evergreen State’s law, which requires studded tires to be removed by March 31.