Gonzaga Area Intersection Gets A Thumbs-Down

Turning left on Hamilton at Mission is clearly impossible.

We recently asked Spokane residents what intersections they avoid for fear of serious bodily harm.

In the random and unscientific poll, the congested Mission and Hamilton intersection won top honors among drivers. In fact, it was the runaway winner, outnumbering the other nominees 4 to 1.

“I avoid Mission and Hamilton, especially trying to turn left against traffic,” said one Spokane woman. “That intersection scares me the most.”

Drivers urged the city to add left-turn lights, saying their absence encourages the running of red lights.

“I don’t know why they don’t have left-turn signals on Hamilton. There’s been lots of wrecks out there,” said one caller.

But city traffic officials contend the intersection can’t handle the air-quality problems created by idling traffic.

Other intersections that frighten Spokane drivers include:

The entrance ramp from Riverside Avenue to the Maple Street Bridge. “A car will stop and then traffic really gets messed up behind them.”

Ray Street and 27th Avenue. “If you want to cross over and go down the hill on Ray, you’re really taking your life into your hands.”

Trent Avenue and Napa Street. “I won’t go through it. I’ll go behind the buildings and through the alley.”

The three-way intersection at Assembly Road, Francis Avenue and Nine Mile Road. “People seem to pull out in front of cars coming up the hill from Nine Mile.”

Freya Street and 29th Avenue. “I avoid the intersection because it is always backed up during peak hours, and drivers proceed out of turn from the stop signs.”

Trent and Hamilton. “No matter what direction you are traveling, there always are red-light runners that fly through the intersection praying that they make it and having no concern for their fellow drivers.”

The Spokane Police Department recently posted the city’s top 15 intersections for accidents during the first four months of this year.

Downtown fared poorly on the list, garnering the top five spots.

Maple Street and Second Avenue was the worst, with eight accidents, followed by Monroe and Third with six. The next three were McClellan and Third with five and Stevens and First and Washington and First with four each.

`F-O-U-R L-A-N-E-S’ spells relief …

North county commuters will be relieved to learn that long-awaited improvements to U.S. Highway 395 north of Spokane are scheduled to begin today.

The $11.2 million project will widen a five-mile stretch of U.S. 395 between the Little Spokane River and Half Moon Road to four lanes with a divider.

That stretch has one lane in each direction now.

The work, which includes an interchange at Hatch Road, should be completed by fall 2000. The highway will remain open to traffic but drivers should expect delays throughout construction.

Starting Tuesday, Hatch will be closed to the west of the highway with traffic being detoured onto Dartford. Also, the intersection of Ballard Road and U.S. 395 will be closed.

Check it out

There’s a new Web site in town designed for those who prefer watching traffic congestion from afar.

The state Department of Transportation debuted the site last week (www.wsdot.wa.gov/spokanemetro) that shows “almost live” traffic shots taken by cameras positioned at six points along Interstate 90. The photographs are updated every 90 seconds.

Spokane’s site is the latest to join the department’s Web family. Web visitors also can take a look at traffic on several highways and bridges in the Puget Sound area and at Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens Pass and Yakima.

Links to those sites can be found on the Spokane site.

Local drivers can discover other areas of town they might want to avoid by visiting the city’s Web site.

Spokane’s construction schedule can be found by going to www.spokanecity.org, then clicking “departments,” then clicking “engineering services.”

YOUR IDEAS “Getting There” runs every other Monday. Have a transportation question that’s been nagging you? Let us hear it. Got an idea for a column? Drop us a line. Phone us at (509) 459-5312 or fax us at (509) 459-5482. Or send e-mail to kristinaj@spokesman. com or a note to Kristina Johnson at The Spokesman Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210. Please leave a name and telephone number.