Nw Blvd. Expansion ‘Win-Win Situation’ Project Will Take 70 Days To Complete

Construction is scheduled to begin on the safety-minded Northwest Boulevard project August 3.

The 70-day project will expand Northwest Boulevard to five lanes from Maple to Lincoln, with the fifth lane designated as a center turn lane.

It also will improve the Monroe Street intersection with Northwest Boulevard.

“Right now there are five streets coming into that intersection. And there are restrictions on turning,” explained Dick Raymond, one of the city’s senior engineers. “After the project is completed, all turning movements will be allowed.”

Immediately west of Monroe, a short, one-block couplet will be created, making Northwest Boulevard carry one-way westbound traffic and Indiana Avenue carry one-way eastbound traffic. This essentially will make that intersection a “normal,” four-street intersection.

“It looks good on paper,” Raymond said. “And when we ran it through the air quality analysis, the new intersection had better air quality and a better level of service.” That translates to less waiting time at the intersection.

“It’s a win-win situation,” he said.

Traffic will be allowed on the roads during construction, though restricted during peak hours. For morning rush hour, two lanes will go into the city, and one lane will be open coming from the city. For evening rush hour, the restrictions will be reversed.

In addition to the widening and intersection work, the Northwest Boulevard project also involves realigning the intersecting side streets.

“Many of the side streets come in at a shallow angle, making it hard to see traffic,” Raymond said. “Also, with the streets at an angle, you have to travel farther (to cross Northwest Boulevard). That’s a dangerous situation.”

Though most of the side streets will be realigned, some will be closed. Cedar Street from Northwest Boulevard to the alley north, and Jefferson Street from Northwest Boulevard to Knox will no longer exist. Adams Street, however, will remain open.

If the project starts on time, construction should be completed by the first week of November. Acme Materials and Construction Co. has been hired for the job. The start date is subject to change if the contractors run into problems with utility companies not moving their facilities quickly, Raymond said.

Officials expect the project cost to come in close to the original estimate of $1.1 million, which will come from federal safety funds, the state’s Urban Arterial Trust Account and matching money from Spokane’s portion of the state gas tax.