Cheney Seeks Funds For New Rest Stop, Information Kiosk
The city of Cheney wants to take advantage of a new highway beautification program.
City officials said they are applying for a federal transportation grant to build a rest stop, bicycle trail and information center at the intersection of Highway 904 and the Cheney-Plaza Road.
A new federal highway funding law makes money available for highway enhancements and beautification, said Public Works Director Paul Schmidt.
If approved, the rest stop would be built in conjunction with highway widening at the southwest corner of town. It would be located across the main street through downtown from a planned super bus stop for the Spokane Transit Authority.
“That end of town looks kind of ragged when you come in,” Schmidt said.
The project would cost about $195,000.
It would add one more element to major street and highway improvements taking place in Cheney this year and next year.
This summer, the city is rebuilding the intersection of Betz Road and state Highway 904. The project will include repaving the highway through much of the city as well as repaving on Betz Road.
At the same time, the state Department of Transportation is planning to grind down the highway surface and apply new pavement from Four Lakes to Betz Road. That portion of the highway has formed depressions in the travel lanes from the heavy commuting between Spokane and Eastern Washington University.
In 2000, the city will build improvements to the highway between H Street and Mullinix Road, including wider pavement, sidewalks, curbs and a bicycle lane.
The new rest area would be built on land owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, property which has never been developed, Schmidt said. The city is seeking a use agreement from the railroad.
The proposal calls for about a dozen parking spaces, an information kiosk for visitors and a railroad history display.
An old information kiosk at the north end of the city was removed to make room for commercial development south of Betz Road.