Gas Line Move Affects Trent/Fancher Traffic

Sat., June 17, 2000

By Trinity Hartman trinityh@spokesman.com

Utility work will close lanes and re-route traffic at Trent and Fancher starting Monday.

Avista Utilities will relocate a high pressure gas line at the intersection. Work is expected to continue through June 30, said Jan Weskamp of Avista.

During the relocation, Trent Avenue traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at the intersection. In addition, northbound traffic on Fancher Road will be reduced to one lane plus the left turn lane.

Detours will be in place for cars to turn from Trent north or south onto Fancher.

Lane closures and detours will be in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week during construction.

Avista is lowering the line so that the state Department of Transportation can begin a widening project next year.

The DOT plans to add a center turn lane and repave Trent from Fancher to Sullivan Road next summer.

Traffic snarls during next year’s widening will make this project seem relatively painless, said DOT spokesman Al Gilson.

Other construction around the Valley to watch for in the upcoming week:

The eastbound Argonne off-ramp on Interstate 90 (exit 287) was scheduled to reopen the middle of this week. That didn’t happen, but the DOT expects the ramp to reopen sometime this weekend.

Evergreen and Mission avenues will remain closed to traffic due to construction through next week.

Valley Couplet work will close a small portion of Lewis Road from Sprague Avenue to Second Avenue. Detours will be in place intermittently. Dishman Mica Road at Second will be down to one-lane southbound at times.

Paving along State Route 27 is on schedule between 32nd Avenue and Freeman. This week, there will be extensive work at the intersction of Dishman Mica Road and Highway 27. Flaggers are expected to direct traffic through the intersection much of next week.

Construction will continue to make Sullivan Road from 16th Avenue to 32nd a rough drive. But the intersection at 32nd and Sullivan is scheduled to reopen Sunday.

During construction, much of the stretch will be reduced to one travel lane during daytime hours. A second lane will open at night.

Beginning late next week, the westbound portion of I-90 near the future Evergreen interchange will be reduced to one lane while construction crews work to install girders that will support the overpass. The construction is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and continue through next weekend.

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