Contractors Lobby For Freeway Construction Industry Hopes To Curb Opposition Building In Neighborhoods
A trade association that lobbies for the construction industry hopes its members can counter any opposition to the proposed north-south freeway that surfaces during two upcoming meetings on the project.
The Washington state Department of Transportation is holding two meetings on the freeway this month, with the first taking place tonight.
The Inland Northwest Association of General Contractors sent a letter to its members earlier this month asking them to attend the meetings to show state legislators the project has wide support.
“We need a show of strength of AGC members - general contractors, subcontractors, associates- as both contractors and concerned citizens that the WSDOT plan for the freeway is sound and that public support remains strong,” the letter said.
The letter goes on to suggest several comments that members (and their families) could make during the meetings, including how the freeway recently has won pledges of state money and how it could ease congestion through Spokane.
As proposed, the north-south freeway would run 10 miles from Interstate 90 to U.S. Highway 395 near the Wandermere Golf Course. The project would cost about $892 million ($2.1 billion in 2020 dollars) and take from 10 to 20 years to build.
The contractors’ executive director, Ken Dunham, said Wednesday the association has a large financial stake in the project.
“It’s jobs and it’s big dollars, and it’s a very good project for a wide range of construction firms in this area,” Dunham said. He added he sent the letter to about 70 members who work in highway construction - not all 500 association members.
The association’s letter is causing some residents with concerns about the project to question whether their voices will be heard.
“It seems like they’re trying to bring unfair weight to their side,” said Jeanne Rees. She and her neighbors recently learned a possible free way route would run next to their Mead homes.
Rees’ neighbor, Jan Kirkman, described the letter as “motivating,” saying it prompted her neighborhood to unite against the project. “We realized how enormous our job was,” Kirkman said.
Dunham said his goal isn’t to drown out opposition but to “bring sanity” to an issue the community has debated for years. “The perception is we’ve been waffling,” Dunham said. “We want to avoid that.”
Indecision on Spokane’s part could cost millions in state dollars, sending the money to other projects on the West Side, Dunham said. After years of being turned down, the Senate, the Transportation Commission and the governor recently set aside money for the north-south freeway in their proposed budgets.
Keith Martin, north-south freeway project manager for the DOT, said he was aware of the AGC’s letter but didn’t give it much weight.
“Obviously, we can’t control who comes or doesn’t,” he said. “(Opponents) have as loud of voices as anyone else’s … “We’re kind of indifferent. We’re just trying to move the project forward.”
This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETINGS FREEWAY OPEN HOUSES The Washington state Department of Transportation is holding two meetings on the north-south freeway this month. Engineers won’t give formal presentations but will be on hand to answer questions. The first open house is tonight at 6 at Northwood Middle School, 13120 N. Pittsburg. Its focus will be on the freeway from Hawthorne Road to U.S. Highway 395. The second open house is next Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook. Its focus will be on the freeway from the Spokane River to Hawthorne Road.