Battle Of Argonne

Traffic at Argonne and Trent is clogging the new official detour route, and drivers are seeking as many alternate routes as they can find.

The congestion and noise concern area neighbors, who must cope with the situation for at least the next three months.

Residents say thousands of motorists have made Grace Avenue, a once-quiet residential street, their east-west route of choice. Others are using Euclid Avenue, though sewer construction slows them west of Argonne.

Neither street is on the detour route designated by Spokane County engineers.

Officially, traffic began funneling around the north and west sides of the Albertson’s store in Millwood on Wednesday. Two lanes carry traffic south along Dale Road from Buckeye Avenue, where drivers can connect with Trent.

A single lane carries traffic north from Trent to Buckeye.

However, residents who live near the new detour route said the change has scattered drivers.

“It brings the traffic past here, I know that,” said Betty Pence, who lives east of Argonne on the corner of Grace and Stout Road. “It’s been like a freeway all day.”

County engineers said they will monitor and adjust the detour route through next week. In two weeks, they plan to limit Trent to two lanes, beginning about a block east and west of Argonne.

The underpass is expected to be open by late August.

Seeking new alternative detour routes didn’t take long. Drivers began using Grace and Stout as an alternate about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Pence said. Traffic flowed steadily by the rest of the day.

“I’ve been here 44 years and I’ve never seen it this bad,” Pence said.

Nearby neighbor Charles Cripe reported that semi-trucks and trailers were using Maple Road and Grace to bypass the construction on Argonne. Drivers also used Euclid Avenue to get back to Argonne.

“We don’t have traffic here normally,” said Cripe’s wife, Joan. She watched from the couple’s kitchen window as a line of cars waited at a stop sign to turn onto Grace.

Meanwhile, residents who live along the authorized county detour, also are unhappy.

Traffic on Dale backs up past their homes, blocking driveways, residents said. Noise and exhaust from the lines of cars and trucks also is a nuisance.

“It’s too much,” said Dale Street resident Dorothy Henry. “They’re backed up around the corner. I wish there was a better solution.”

Albertson’s manager Scott Day said some drivers have cut through the store’s parking lot trying to shave their commute time.

Residents asked the county to install an extra traffic light at Dale and Buckeye, Henry said. The light would have made backing out of their driveways easier, and could have helped limit the noise and exhaust, residents said.

Sidewalks on the west side of Dale also would have been helpful for the children who walk to West Valley and Millwood School, said resident Tanda Bastin. She walks two of her children to nearby Millwood School daily.

Citing expense, the county refused to install a traffic light and walkways or sidewalks, Henry said. However, county engineers did build temporary chain-link fences in front yards along Dale to protect walkers.

“At least it put a barrier” between traffic and walkers, Henry said. “But gosh, it’s awfully tight.”

Engineers tried to anticipate problems, said county spokesman Chad Hutson. They worked closely with residents and Millwood School administrators to ensure they were protected from the 30,000 cars the detour routes past their homes and the school daily, Hutson said.

Concrete barriers at Dale and Buckeye Avenue keep traffic from passing directly in front of the school. Flaggers along Grace also force drivers away from Millwood School during school hours.

“The county’s been really supportive,” said Millwood School principal Dan Kelly.

School administrators held meetings and sent home letters and maps to prepare parents for the change. The school district also installed chain-link fences and gates around a new parking area.

Teachers and volunteers now watch the parking lots before and after schools to make sure traffic flows smoothly and safely.

“We wanted to create a situation where a child is never left unattended with this traffic,” Kelly said.

Residents who live near the school have been patient with the change in traffic flow, county workers said.

Those who live inside the road closure on Grace have been given passes that allow them to get to their houses.

Arianne Wickwire was glad to see Grace blocked off in front of her house. She said it forces drivers who try to use Grace as a way around the detour to slow down.

After flaggers go home at night, Wickwire estimated drivers speed through at up to 40 miles per hour.

“This isn’t a freeway going through here, it’s a school zone,” Wickwire said.

But even the changes around the school have been bumpy at times.

An impatient teenager reportedly cursed a flagger last week before he drove through the detour on Grace. An angry parent also gave flaggers an earful and sped through the detour this week, flaggers said.

County workers have been instructed to note descriptions and license plate numbers of offending cars and forward the information to sheriff’s deputies.

Even the opening of the new Argonne detour route had setbacks. County engineers first announced they were advancing the opening date, then delayed it to accommodate inclement weather conditions.

But overall, engineers are pleased.

In fact, engineers fielded only five calls by midday Thursday. Most callers wanted to make sure engineers keep the detour clearly marked, said county spokesman Chad Hutson.

While residents may not have been complaining loudly, they were grumbling.

“You can’t drive within a 20 block radius without finding a road closure,” said John Wood, who was picking up his 5-year-old daughter, Kayla, from Millwood School.

Perhaps summing up the sentiments of residents east of Argonne, who have seen their quiet neighborhood turned into a commuting option, Cripe said:

“I’ll be glad when it’s all done. Then we can enjoy the neighborhood again.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 photos (1 color) Map of area.