Victims’ Kin To Place Crosses Along Highway

Transportation

Highway 395 crusader Teresa Waunch is planning several activities to refocus attention on the dangers of that roadway.

She’s asking families of those who died along the federal highway between Spokane to Kettle Falls to join in a caravan on May 28 and place white crosses at the sites of fatal accidents. To do that, she needs to find out how many crosses will be needed and the location of accidents. She is asking that families to call her at 233-2405.

Only the state Department of Transportation or a family member can place a memorial along a highway, and it must be temporary. Waunch is planning to keep the crosses up for two days.

Her organization, Project 395, is also planning a fund-raiser June 11 at the Deer Park Fairgrounds. There will be an auction and barbeque, with proceeds going toward lobbying efforts and the filming of a documentary.

Road realignment

The state recently unveiled results of a study of alternative corridors for state Highway 291, which connects northwest Spokane with southern Stevens County via Nine Mile Falls.

One possibility is to build a new connection across a bluff and link Nine Mile Road to Division, thereby giving commuters from southern Stevens County another way into Spokane without driving through Indian Trail. But the connection that makes the most sense financially would merely realign state Highway 291 from Suncrest to Sundance Golf Course, still shuffling vehicles into the Francis, Assembly-Driscoll area and doing nothing to reduce carbon monoxide.

New traffic signal

Spokane County traffic engineers have installed a new traffic signal at Cascade Way and Wall.

The daily vehicle count on Cascade Way at Division is 10,000, and at Cascade Way and Wall it is 8,000.

Since the opening of the Division Street Costco two years ago, accidents have been increasing due to vehicles turning left from Cascade Way trying to find a seam in the southbound lanes on Wall, said county engineer Bob Brueggeman.

The $80,000 cost of the signals was paid with a federal grant.