Designing Of Bridge Approved Council Unanimous In Taking Next Step Toward Making Lincoln Street Span A Reality

Design work on the Lincoln Street bridge - hailed as the forerunner to major downtown revitalization - is set to begin.

The Spokane City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $3.2 million design contract with CH2M Hill Northwest Inc.

“This is a very important project to the city of Spokane,” said Councilman Orville Barnes.

Construction of the bridge will dramatically change downtown - making way for more green space, changing traffic patterns and boosting redevelopment efforts, such as the planned $80 million River Park Square expansion, city officials say.

Plans call for the four-lane, one-way bridge to align with Lincoln Street, carrying northbound traffic from downtown to Sharp Avenue. Eventually, the Monroe Street bridge will become one-way southbound.

The Post Street bridge will be replaced with a pedestrian bridge that will take the Centennial Trail across the Spokane River. Main Street will be redesigned to streamline traffic around the downtown library.

Post Street running north from Spokane Falls Boulevard will be turned into a dead-end street “with a parklike atmosphere,” connecting people to parking lots at City Hall and the YMCA, said Brad Blegen, city construction services director.

The Lincoln Street bridge is expected to cost about $21 million, with $17.5 coming from federal taxpayers, $2 million from the state and $740,000 from Spokane’s share of state gas-tax money, Blegen said.

Addressing a number of environmental issues increased the project’s design costs, Blegen said.

Attorney Steve Eugster sued the city in 1994 to stop the project over potential environmental impacts.

The city and Eugster called a truce in January, with the city agreeing to make improvements to enhance the river gorge area. They include establishing open spaces and parks, creating public views and recreational spots, and expanding Riverfront Park west from City Hall.

Most of the improvements were planned before Eugster’s lawsuit, Blegen said. But Eugster said in January the settlement would force the city to follow through.

Also driving the contract’s cost is a federal requirement that the city do two designs: one for a concrete bridge and one for a steel bridge.

Blegen said city engineers are convinced the bridge should be concrete, but still have to convince federal regulators.

Bridge design should be completed by the end of 1997, with construction starting the following spring and ending two years later.

Also Tuesday, the council:

Approved design standards for the siting of cellular telephone towers.

The plan requires companies to get a special permit from the hearing examiner if they plan to build a tower within 300 feet of a residential lot. It also requires companies to screen the tower’s base and paint it to blend with neighborhoods.

Honored three Spokane residents for helping two police officers who were being attacked by a crime suspect.

On April 12, Dick Heldenbrand, Dave Halvorson and Robert Matthew helped wrestle the suspect to the ground after he attacked officers Barry O’Connell and Kevin Kliewer.

The men left without giving the officers their names, but a newspaper column about the incident prompted the men to come forward. A fourth man came forward but wouldn’t give his name.

“In my eyes, … they are heroes,” O’Connell said as he presented the three men with wooden plaques.

Made plans to put a charter amendment restricting council absences before voters in November.

Councilman Jeff Colliton asked his colleagues to consider an amendment at next week’s meeting that would limit a member’s absences to four consecutive meetings before the seat is declared vacant. Council members who need to be gone longer would have to get their colleagues’ OK.

Currently, a council member can be gone up to six months.

The council has grown increasingly frustrated with the lengthy absence of Councilman Chris Anderson, who has been working on the “Dante’s Peak” movie set since June 2.

If the strong mayor initiative fails Sept. 17, the amendment would be placed on the Nov. 5 ballot.

, DataTimes