Major Third Avenue work starts Tuesday

Third Avenue’s long-awaited makeover begins Tuesday.

The $4 million overhaul includes installing a new water main, replacing signals and repaving Third Avenue from Division Street to Inland Empire Way and Ninth Avenue.

The entire project is scheduled to last until Sept. 15, but asphalt should be in place by July.

Most of the work will take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., but Third Avenue lanes will be reduced during most of the project and many businesses will be accessible at times only via ramps traversing a 17-inch trench.

In the short term the most disruptive development for drivers will be the two-night closure of the Interstate 90 on-ramp at Browne and off-ramp at Division. Both will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8 p.m. and lasting until 6 a.m. the following days.

Third Avenue will be closed between Division and Browne on the same days, but starting two hours earlier at 6 p.m.

And then there’s the street parking.

“All parking’s gone the day we start,” said project contractor Chuck Eller.

Meanwhile, Third Avenue business owners are worried about how the project will impact them.

At a Friday morning briefing, Eller told representatives from auto dealerships, fast food restaurants and other businesses along the route that his crews would do what they could to help make businesses accessible, but some complications would be inevitable.

Downtown Arby’s manager Aimee Hubbard said she’s worried that diners may avoid the area entirely.

To keep people coming, Downtown Toyota owner David Coombs suggested some special signage.

“Can you put a little blurb on it? ‘Businesses are open.’ “

No exit

In addition to the I-90 interchange closures this week at Division and Browne, roadwork will be affecting the westbound off-ramp at Freya Street.

It will be closed for two weeks starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. to accommodate work on the Thor-Freya couplet.

Remember the westbound I-90 on- and off-ramps are also closed at Evergreen.

Beating the curve

Though complaining about streets is one of Spokane’s favorite pastimes, a new report issued by the Washington Department of Transportation shows Spokane’s arterials are above average compared to 26 other state cities.

The state average was a “good” score of 72 out of 100. Spokane’s average rating was a “good” score of 75.

According to the rating system, arterials are ranked excellent with scores of 88 and above, good with scores of 67-87, fair with a score of 48-66, poor with scores between 20 and 47 and failed below 20.

Worst on the list is Tacoma with a 56 average. Seattle has a 69 average.

Best on the list is Redmond with an average score of 91.

Maybe it’s all about Microsoft.

Bloomsday cleaning

Slipping on gritty streets just wouldn’t be any fun with hordes of people in a position to trample you.

So crews will be cleaning the Bloomsday route this week.

You know the drill. Watch for the signs and move your car off the street when they tell you to.

As far as other street cleaning goes, the areas bounded by Monroe, Ash, Wellesley and Johansen Road in the northwest and Hartson, 29th, Crestline and Ray/Thor on the South Hill will be swept this week.

Art on the move

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is tackling the topic of transportation as its first “Seeing Spokane” exhibit.

Check it out on the upper level of the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza downtown.

Slow going

Take a few deep breaths before plunging into the rest of this week’s construction tie-ups.

Traffic will be detoured off of I-90 starting at about 10 p.m. Tuesday at Liberty Lake. Crews will be installing the girders to support a pedestrian bridge under construction there. Work is planned to be complete before the Wednesday morning commute.

Flaggers will be directing traffic at the eastbound I-90 Argonne on- and off- ramps Thursday while signal work is under way.

Greene Street Bridge: One northbound lane will be closed Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Freya Way Bridge: One southbound lane will be closed Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

High Bridge will experience lane closures between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Shoulder work on Highway 2 near Hayford Road may create some westbound lane restrictions.