Prepare For Freeway Work Valley Project To Disrupt Traffic

Sat., March 6, 1999

By Angie Gaddy angieg@spokesman.com

You thought treacherous winter driving conditions were finally over?

Buckle up. It’s road construction season again.

Starting Monday, construction crews will begin traffic-clogging work on Interstate 90 in the Spokane Valley.

For three days, construction crews will begin work near the Sprague Avenue interchange that will re-route traffic in both directions temporarily.

Plans are to move westbound freeway traffic from just west of the Sprague Avenue interchange to the Havana Street exit onto temporary lanes.

A few weeks later, eastbound traffic will shift to the current westbound lanes.

Construction crews will then begin work on the vacated eastbound lanes.

The state Department of Transportation began the $14 million project last year. It should be complete by the end of the year.

“We would have started on it earlier but we ran out of (good) weather last fall,” said DOT spokesman Al Gilson. “We’re trying to get people out of the way so we can get the work done. It takes some time to do so we can do it safely.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: LOOKINGAHEAD Next week Here’s what drivers can expect next week, weather permitting: Monday: Westbound traffic will be reduced to one lane just west of the Sprague Avenue interchange to the Havana Street exit, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday: Westbound traffic will be reduced to one lane near the westbound Sprague Avenue on-ramp, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ramp will remain open, but flaggers will direct traffic entering I-90. The Fancher Way westbound on-ramp will be closed at 6 a.m. Wednesday: Westbound traffic will be reduced to one lane between the Broadway interchange and the Havana Street exit, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. That day, all westbound freeway traffic will be moved north to a temporary paved surface. During the switch, the westbound Sprague on-ramp will be closed one to two hours.

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