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

Public asked to weigh in on 75-mph speed limit on I-90

The Washington state Department of Transportation is holding two public meetings this week on a proposal to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on a segment of Interstate 90 from the western border of Spokane County through the Columbia Basin.

A bill passed in 2015 allows the speed limit to be increased from 70 to 75 mph in certain places.

This proposal would raise the speed to 75 mph from the western boundary of Spokane County to George. Vehicles over 10,000 pounds or pulling trailers would still have a 60-mph limit.

The Department of Transportation, the State Patrol and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission have evaluated the idea.

The agencies gathered information from other states that have higher speed limits; developed criteria to evaluate where and how speed limits might be raised; assessed the effects of an increase; identified needed highway improvements; and examined how speed limit increases can affect crashes, societal costs related to crashes, fuel costs and benefits of travel-time savings.

The first meeting will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Ritzville at the Best Western Plus Bronco Inn, 105 W. Galbreath Way.

The second meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Council Chambers at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 S. Balsam St.

The public is invited to the meetings to learn more about the proposal and to comment. Comments also can be submitted online at wsdot.wa.gov/planning/Studies/i90speedlimit.

Stuckart objects

to blog post

Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart has taken exception to a Washington Policy Center blog post last week that said a proposal to build a Central City Line would result in a raid on city street funds.

Chris Cargill said in the blog post, “The Spokane City Council wants to raid a dedicated public roads account and spend the money on an unpopular transit project that voters have rejected.”

Stuckart, in a letter to one of the policy center board members, said the article mischaracterizes the City Council’s action last week. The council voted to expand the use of the city’s transportation benefit area and potentially place a sales tax increase on the ballot in November to pay for transit improvements, including the streetcar line.

Stuckart wrote, “The Spokane City Council has been and remains clear in our desire to expand transit per our citizens’ wishes. Simply, if STA does not ask the regional voters in November for more service, Spokane will ask the voters to pay for a sales tax increase to pay for expanded service. I expect they will once again say ‘Yes.’ This has absolutely no impact on residential street funding.”

Federal and state grants are available to build the $71 million line from Browne’s Addition through downtown and the University District to Spokane Community College.

A local tax increase of 0.2 percent would fund operations of the line and other transit improvements in the city, including longer night and weekend hours.

City voters a year ago favored a sales tax increase for the transit improvements, but votes outside Spokane caused the measure to narrowly lose.

Large road work contracts coming

Construction companies that might compete for transportation contracts are invited to a meeting April 27 to learn more about state transportation contracting.

A $16 billion Connecting Washington funding package will unleash major work across the state, including completion of the North Spokane Corridor.

The meeting will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the DOT regional headquarters, 2714 N. Mayfair St.

Participants are asked to RSVP at er_workshop@wsdot.wa.gov.

Sewer work closing Bridge Avenue

In Spokane, work starts Monday on a $5.9 million project to sink a combined sewer overflow tank into the ground east of Monroe Street at Bridge Avenue. This will result in a closure of Bridge Avenue east of Monroe.

The Freya Way Bridge will have lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday for bridge inspection.

The eastbound on-ramp from Monroe Street to I-90 should reopen by the end of this week. It was scheduled to remain closed through Friday for pipe installation.

Curb ramps

to be installed

Installation of pedestrian curb ramps for handicapped accessibility is planned this spring in Priest River and Sandpoint.

Work will begin April 25 in Priest River on U.S. Highway 2 and state Highway 57 and in late May on U.S. 2 in Sandpoint.

Earthworks Northwest Inc., of Sandpoint, is the contractor for the $157,000 Sandpoint ramp project.

Interstate Concrete & Asphalt, also of Sandpoint, is the contractor for the $563,000 Priest River work.

Snoqualmie Pass work this week

Rolling slowdowns are planned this week on I-90 just east of Snoqualmie Pass. Also, westbound traffic may encounter delays near Cle Elum.

Indiana Parkway remains closed

In Spokane Valley, Indiana Parkway from DeSmet Court to Steen Parkway remains closed through June 16.

The Spokane River from old Mission Avenue to 500 feet downstream of the Sullivan Road Bridge is closed to river use during construction of a new bridge on Sullivan Road.