I-90 Valley Changes Open To Comment

Sat., Nov. 8, 1997

Angie Gaddy Staff Writer

Washington State Department of Transportation officials will be in the Spokane Valley next week to discuss planned improvements to Interstate 90.

The Transportation Department plans to widen the 3.5-mile stretch of freeway between the Sprague Avenue and Argonne Road interchanges to six lanes. The Sprague Avenue interchange will also be reconfigured.

The public meeting at Centennial Middle School begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

During the first half of the meeting, the officials will present design plans for the Sprague Avenue interchange and the widening of I-90. The second half of the meeting will be reserved for public comment.

Work on widening the freeway’s eastbound lanes from Sprague to Broadway will begin next spring. The widening of the westbound lanes of I-90 is still in the design phase.

Construction will also continue in the spring on the Sprague Avenue interchange, which will connect the freeway with the Valley Couplet.

This summer, crews finished the first phase of work on the Sprague interchange. The intersection of Fancher Road and Sprague Avenue was widened, new turn lanes were added and a new traffic signal was installed. That intersection will handle traffic both leaving and entering the freeway via the reconfigured interchange.

Transportation officials said they plan to replace the Park Road underpass with an overpass. That may mean acquiring some additional land. However, it has not yet been determined how much or what property would be affected.

The total cost of widening the 3.5-mile stretch of I-90 and rebuilding the Sprague interchange is $59 million, not including this summer’s work at Fancher and Sprague.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Road work The public hearing on the widening of Interstate 90 and the rebuilding of the Sprague Avenue interchange will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the gym at Centennial Middle School, 915 N. Ella Road. Oral testimony will be taken at the meeting. Written comments must be submitted to the Transportation Department by Nov. 24. Written comments should be sent to: Ted Trepanier, Project Engineer, Washington State Department of Transportation, 7421 E. First Ave., Spokane, WA 99212.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Road work The public hearing on the widening of Interstate 90 and the rebuilding of the Sprague Avenue interchange will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the gym at Centennial Middle School, 915 N. Ella Road. Oral testimony will be taken at the meeting. Written comments must be submitted to the Transportation Department by Nov. 24. Written comments should be sent to: Ted Trepanier, Project Engineer, Washington State Department of Transportation, 7421 E. First Ave., Spokane, WA 99212.

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