Hearing To Examine Freeway Impact

A proposed freeway that would eliminate 600 Spokane houses will be the topic at a state Department of Transportation hearing Thursday in Spokane.

First proposed in 1946, Spokane’s North-South Freeway would take cars from Interstate 90 to U.S. Highway 395 near the Wandermere bridge. En route, it would go through the Hillyard and East Central neighborhoods.

The freeway, which had an estimated cost of $13 million in 1956, now is expected to cost $2.1 billion and take 20 years to build. Neither the state nor federal governments have money for the project.

Although construction appears unlikely anytime soon, state engineers recently wrote a $3 million, 600-page environmental impact statement. Thursday’s meeting is required before the final draft of that document is written.

An informal open house where residents can ask questions about the project starts at 6 p.m. at Shadle Park High School, 4327 N. Ash. The hearing starts at 7 p.m.

, DataTimes