Getting There: Drivers can relax as street jobs wrap up

Most of the major street projects undertaken in the Spokane area this year are either completed or are about to finish up.

Indiana Avenue from Ruby to Dakota streets and High Drive from Bernard Street to Grand Boulevard are now open for traffic. The two projects together cost $7 million.

Indiana has four lanes near Ruby Street but narrows to a single lane in each direction to the east, which allows for bike lanes.

High Drive includes new stormwater infrastructure and a new water main. This year’s work was the second in a two-year project to remake the route along the southwestern rim of the South Hill. Some minor items are still being finished.

In other major projects, the last step of paving work starts this week and next week.

A $2.7 million project on Rowan Avenue from Driscoll Boulevard to Alberta Street will be paved this week and should reopen the following week. The segment of Rowan from Driscoll to Fotheringham Street will be completed next spring.

Also, the segment from Alberta to Monroe Street will be rebuilt next year. The upgrades will include curb ramps, bike lanes and utility work.

Havana Street from Glenrose Road to 37th Avenue is ready for paving this week. Completion of a bike path with permeable pavement will be postponed until spring, according to Julie Happy, city spokeswoman.

Along with new pavement, the Havana project also involved construction of sidewalks to fill gaps that existed and installation of a 36-inch water main. The total cost of the project is $3.7 million.

A major repaving project on Ray Street from 17th to 29th avenues is set for paving on Nov. 2, which will be followed by installation of traffic islands.

Reopening of Ray Street to its normal four lanes is set for Nov. 10. The $687,000 project has caused traffic backups because travel has been restricted to one lane in each direction during construction.

The Francis Avenue project to install variable message signs from Division Street to the eastern city limits may cause intermittent lane closures through the end of November.

Projects on Hartson Avenue, First Avenue and Erie Street are also scheduled for paving.

Construction continues on Monroe and Lincoln streets in the vicinity of Third Avenue. Work on a water main replacement on Fifth Avenue has been delayed until 2016.

Work continues on Wall Street from Main Avenue to Spokane Falls Boulevard with lane restrictions on adjacent streets.

New culvert to resemble stream

In Spokane County, a major project to replace an old metal culvert on Elliott Road next to Mt. Spokane Park Drive is underway.

The new culvert, which is more than 20 feet wide, will create a simulated stream environment and will replace the old 7-foot-diameter pipe.

The new culvert meets standards of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, county officials said.

“Spokane County has worked closely with WDFW to provide a crossing of Deadman Creek which is safe for vehicles in an environmentally friendly manner,” according to the county’s Web page on the project.

Work at the site is expected to cause lane restrictions.

Elsewhere in the county, construction is underway on Ladd Road a half-mile north of Thorpe Road.

Concrete panels being replaced

On state highways, work continues to fix and replace concrete pavement panels on U.S. Highway 195 from Interstate 90 to Excelsior Road. A 45 mph speed limit is in effect.

On I-90, maintenance work during daytime hours Monday through Wednesday could result in lane restrictions for eastbound traffic.

River closed at bridge project

In Spokane Valley, demolition of the southbound Sullivan Road Bridge and construction of a replacement bridge is causing lane and turning restrictions.

Construction vehicles and traffic flaggers will be on-site weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

River users are required to exit the water Mondays through Fridays from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. when approaching the bridge site. Buoys are in place to mark the closed area of the river.