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

Work starts on Wolf Lodge Interstate 90 interchange

Work starts Monday on a new Interstate 90 interchange at Wolf Lodge Bay in North Idaho.

The project will rebuild the interchange to carry large trucks.

The $4.7 million project during the next six months will involve building a new overpass bridge and approaches for the Idaho state Highway 97 crossing and interchange with the freeway.

The result will be a longer and wider interchange, with modifications to the ramps, drainage work and additional lighting, all of which will increase safety, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.

“The current interchange has many deficiencies, including excessive spalls (small chips) and cracks, exposed areas throughout structural components and a substandard vertical clearance,” the department said in a news release.

Clearance will increase from 15 feet 8 inches to 17 feet 3 inches.

Drivers can expect single-lane closures of I-90 at the interchange and speed reductions on Highway 97.

Funding for the work is coming from a budget surplus of $54 million.

The work is following a design-bid-build scenario that is expected to save time and limit impact to the 1,740 vehicles that use the interchange each day.

Concrete Placing Co. Inc., of Boise, was selected as the prime contractor.

The project involves local governments that are connected by the interchange, including the cities of Coeur d’Alene, St. Maries and Harrison; Benewah and Kootenai counties; and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

Projects being funded with the budget surplus were selected in December by the Idaho Transportation Board.

Highway 5 widening begins

Elsewhere in North Idaho, the state is starting a project on Monday to realign and widen state Highway 5 at the railroad underpass west of St. Maries. The widening will involve approaches to the underpass but not the underpass itself. The work includes drainage improvements, a retaining wall and concrete barriers.

West Company Inc., of Medical Lake, is the contractor on the $1.1 million project.

Work on Monroe continues

In the city of Spokane, major work is underway on Monroe Street from Main to Eighth avenues in two separate projects.

Concrete paving is set for Tuesday and Friday on Monroe from Second Avenue to Eighth.

Once that is finished, the work will shift to Lincoln Street between Second and Eighth.

On Main at Division Street, work continues on sidewalk removal and excavation for underground stormwater facilities. In that project, plans call for curb extensions at Main and Division; new curbs, gutters and sidewalks; handicap ramps; and planter boxes.

Elsewhere, construction work returns to High Drive for street repairs from Bernard Street to Grand Boulevard. Flaggers will direct traffic.

Work on Hartson Avenue from Altamont to Fiske streets is now finished.

Havana Street from Glenrose Road to 37th Avenue is open to traffic after more than a year of work.

Numerous smaller projects are underway across Spokane.

Washington road projects

On Interstate 90, Shamrock Paving Inc., of Spokane, is starting a $2.1 million project to realign the westbound off-ramp at Freya Street to improve safety. Work starts Monday.

The new off-ramp will be about a quarter-mile east of the existing off-ramp and route vehicles directly onto Second Avenue east of Freya.

Elsewhere on I-90, work is underway to seal cracks and fill wheel ruts in the outside lane from Ritzville to state Highway 21.

A chip seal project has also started on U.S. Highway 2 from Espanola Road to Davenport. Pilot cars and flaggers will direct single-lane alternating traffic. Delays could be 20 minutes.

Another chip seal project will cause potential delays on state Highway 27 between Pullman-Albion Road and Palouse-Albion Road. Flaggers and pilot cars will direct single-lane traffic.

A similar project will cause single-lane travel on U.S. Highway 195 from the Idaho line to Colton.

Also, single-lane travel is expected 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday on state Highway 271 from Rosalia to Oakesdale for a resurfacing job.

In the same region, a repaving project will result in single-lane travel from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday on Highway 27 from Garfield to Rockford.