Spokane7
67°
November 2, 2011 in City
U.S. 2, meet your newest neighbor
Interchange with corridor opens next week
Traffic passes under the North Spokane Corridor on U.S. Highway 2 on Tuesday near Farwell Road, where a new interchange will soon allow cars to move between the new freeway and U.S. 2.
(Full-size photo)
The key interchange on the North Spokane Corridor at U.S. Highway 2 will open Nov. 16, making the existing travel lanes more useful with a new high-speed connection between the two highways.
The opening occurs as the northern half of the north-south freeway approaches completion next year.
One lane in each direction opened in 2009 from Freya Street near Francis Avenue to Farwell Road, a distance of 3.7 miles.
Now, those lanes will be linked directly to U.S. 2 via ramps, including a southbound bridge that is 980 feet long.
Plans call for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. on Nov. 16 on the southbound ramp that connects U.S. 2 to the North Spokane Corridor.
The interchange will open to all traffic later in the afternoon, said Al Gilson, spokesman for the Washington State Department of Transportation in Spokane.
Access to the ribbon-cutting will be from the north, he said.
The $43 million interchange has taken three years to build and includes lowering the grade of U.S. 2 as well as installation of a 30-foot arched culvert beneath U.S. 2 at Peone Creek. The culvert will allow wildlife to pass underneath the highway.
Graham Construction and Management of Spokane was the contractor.
“I think a lot more people will use it,” Gilson said of the extended route.
Completion of through lanes and an interchange at the existing U.S. Highway 395 at Wandermere should be finished next spring.
That will allow free-flowing traffic on 5.5 miles of the eventual 10.5-mile route from Interstate 90 to Wandermere.
In addition, a project to build southbound lanes from Farwell Road to the vicinity of Francis Avenue is also under construction and will be completed next year.
The segment from Francis to Farwell will have three lanes in each direction, while the main line from Farwell to Wandermere will be two lanes in each direction.
A third contract involves construction of an interchange at Parksmith Road, which also is expected to be finished next year.
So far, about $600 million has gone into the project. Another $1.3 billion will be needed to build the remaining five miles from Francis to I-90 and build a series of collector lanes through east Spokane.
About 6,000 vehicles a day were counted on the existing two-lane segment earlier this year. Engineers expect traffic to increase to about 14,000 to 15,000 vehicles a day once the northern half fully opens.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly gave next Wednesday as the opening date of the interchange and the ribbon cutting. It will be Nov. 16.
MLK Jr. Way opens Thursday 
another_perspective on November 02 at 4:30 a.m.
Bridge to no where. Meet our road to no where.
southie4573 on November 02 at 8:10 a.m.
At least it looks nice. It feels so big city now.. LOL
westerly on November 02 at 8:25 a.m.
Hundreds of thousands of commuters can’t wait to get to Wandermere! A local huge attraction.
scottwiro on November 02 at 8:25 a.m.
The “road to no where” will cut my commute in half when finished!
SpokyDaBear on November 02 at 8:49 a.m.
Once this freeway is built division will lose all its business.
93bird on November 02 at 9:18 a.m.
The north south freeway is amazing. It used to take me nearly half an hour to get to Hatch Road from Millwood. Now, it’s about fifteen minutes, and will soon be half of that. The freeway will also be a welcomed option for all the traffic that has turned Argonne Road into a freeway itself. I know it’s difficult for the average Spokanite to recognize progress or even envision it, but for the region’s more evolved residents this is a big deal.
grey on November 02 at 9:40 a.m.
“Once this freeway is built…” and that will be like 2075 or later?
Shadedmuse on November 02 at 9:57 a.m.
Division has a couplet like sprague and you dont here Division people complaining like sprague people wait Spokane Valley people the bible thumpers love to complain.
Cathy Mcmo-mo better not show her mug at the ribbon cutting after she voted against the Hawaiian President Obama; Jobs bill that would get the funding to finish the highway and create more jobs. Dont think its ironic that CBS brings back Hawaii five oh now that we have an Hawaiian president? if John Mccain was president they would of brought back Alic and Mells diner in Phnx AZ.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on November 02 at 10:26 a.m.
^ Thanks, shadedmuse – I don’t always understand contemporary poetry, but I enjoy reading through it & trying to tune in to the stream-of-consciousness vibe.
another_perspective on November 02 at 11:44 a.m.
I hope McMorris shows up for the ribbon cutting, then we could ride her backside out of town on it back to her fruitstand job in Colvile. Any bets her chauffer Davey Condon shows up to take some of the accolade.
They should have long long ago elevated Division from I-90 to the Y. Imagine the lack of snow plowing problems that would have avoided plus the below streets would be perfect for our N/S bike paths that dont exist.
and for all those commuters who said it saves time. If you lived closer to where you work, you wouldnt have that self induced problem would you? Living in Millwood aka East Hilyard, I wouldnt be so proud about it.
IHike4Fun on November 02 at 11:45 a.m.
‘Once this freeway is built division will lose all its business’
Really?? Where did you get this information?
Shadedmuse on November 02 at 12:25 p.m.
Cathy mcmomo;s fruit stand is in Peachcrest just north of Kettle falls where all the bible thumpers live. Cathys boy belongs in a fruit stand and not the Mayors office where he will be like Scott Walker, Rick Scott Chris Christy and destroy the city of spokane and make us all wage slaves.
If Cathy’s Boy shows up at the ribbon cutting my guess Soccer susie and Daisey will be standing behind him kissing his butt.