Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

State Highway 290 project progresses

Repaving on state Highway 290 from Sullivan Road to the Idaho border is kicking into high gear today.

The highway, also known as Trent Avenue, will be reduced to a single lane from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following mornings on weekdays. A pilot car will guide alternating lines of traffic through the construction zone.

In addition, the highway interchange at Wellesley Avenue will be fully closed from 6 p.m. today until 6 a.m. Tuesday for grinding down old pavement in preparation for repaving.

Drivers will need to use alternate routes during this phase of work, state transportation officials said.

Lane restrictions are also likely on Sullivan Road between Highway 290 and Wellesley.

The state hired Poe Asphalt Paving, of Clarkston, Washington, for the $3.7 million project.

The highway surface is worn down, requiring repaving to protect the underlying road bed from further deterioration.

In addition to the pavement, the job involves cutting rumble strips in the center line to warn drivers if they drift across the line.

New, durable lane striping is also being added.

U.S. 195 work begins

Another major maintenance project is underway today on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 195 from Interstate 90 to Excelsior Road.

Portions of the highway will be reduced to a single lane of southbound traffic to allow a contractor to repair the aging concrete panels that make up the driving surface.

More than 650 concrete panels will be replaced. Another 190 will be partially replaced, and 120 panels will be lifted and stabilized with grout. Cracks in the remaining panels will be sealed.

The last step will involve grinding the panels for a smoother surface.

Ruts caused by studded tire wear will be removed.

William Winkler Co., of Spokane, is the contractor on the $4.7 million project.

Northbound lanes underwent a similar rehabilitation in 2010.

Two other pavement projects also are underway on Highway 195, including one from Pullman to Babbitt Road and another from Colfax to Dry Creek Road.

Single-lane traffic is in effect in those two construction areas.

Spokane closures

In Spokane, repaving of Perry Street from Mission to Illinois avenues will result in a full closure through Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the city, a project begins today to install three underground sewer holding tanks on 43rd Avenue just east of Hatch Road.

As a result, 43rd from Garfield to Scott streets will be closed through Friday for tree pruning in preparation of construction.

Also, because of the early summer heat, the city allowed a contractor to start work at 4 a.m. today on a new sewer holding tank and interceptor at Northwest Boulevard near Kiernan Avenue.

Valley closures

In Spokane Valley, construction will result in a closure of 16th Avenue between Skipworth and Pierce roads from 7 a.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Thursday.

Also, northbound lanes of Sullivan Road from Broadway to Mission avenues will be closed tonight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Holiday primer

Most Washington state highway projects are being put on hold at noon Thursday in advance of the July Fourth holiday travel period.

The shutdown will continue until midnight Sunday to make room for heavier holiday traffic.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has posted travel charts showing the best times to cross the Cascades on Interstate 90 during the four days of the upcoming holiday period.

In general, westbound traffic from Eastern to Western Washington will be at moderate to heavy volumes Thursday and Friday from roughly 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Going the other direction to escape the metropolis of Puget Sound is another matter. Drivers headed east Thursday and Friday can expect heavy volumes with congestion or stop-and-go conditions.

July Fourth will see the lightest traffic.

The pattern reverses Sunday, when moderate to heavy traffic will be seen in eastbound lanes while westbound lanes returning to the West Side will have nearly twice the volume of eastbound lanes.

Stop-and-go traffic westbound on Sundays during the summer has typically been the greatest in the area east of Cle Elum.

To view the WSDOT charts, go to wsdot.wa.gov/Congestion/IndependenceDay/2015.

AAA makes forecast

AAA auto club is forecasting a very modest increase in travel for the holiday.

AAA is predicting 41.9 million people will journey 50 miles or more from home. That represents an increase of just 0.7 percent from 2014.

More moderate gasoline prices are helping encourage the increase in travel along with more disposable family income and employment growth.

Of the travelers, 84.7 percent will go by automobile.

Gasoline averaged $3.66 a gallon a year ago. In the Spokane region, it’s been selling for about $2.90 a gallon in recent weeks.

Last year, AAA forecast an increase of 1.9 to percent to 41 million Americans traveling for the holiday.

Leading in Subarus

You would think Seattle would have a greater concentration of Subaru owners than anywhere else, considering the vehicle’s appeal to outdoors types.

But Spokane has Seattle beat on this one.

According to an article in the Seattle Times last week, which quoted the marketing firm of Nielsen Scarborough, there are more Subaru owners by percentage in Spokane than Seattle.

In fact, Spokane leads the country in Subaru ownership with 10.3 percent of vehicles being a Subaru. Seattle has an ownership rate of 10.1 percent.

Others in the top six are Hartford, Connecticut, at 9.9 percent; Denver, 8.3 percent; Portland and Albany, New York, both at 8.1 percent.

One local Subaru owner describes it this way: Once you’ve watched a Subaru climb past you on the icy South Hill in the winter, you are sold.