Pushed to the limit

A street known best for its fast food was clogged with slow traffic Monday as Interstate 90 road construction kicked off for a second summer.

Traffic slowed dramatically as thousands of cars crawled through newly timed intersections, turning a five-minute drive down Second or Third Avenue into a 30- to 45-minute rush-hour slog.

Hampering the flow of traffic were law-breakers, who could reliably be found stopped mid-intersection, making illegal turns from off-ramps and speeding ahead through right-turn-only lanes to cut off drivers waiting patiently in line.

But give it some time, suggested one state Department of Transportation official. The bugs will get worked out.

“It really has to settle out a couple of days to see what people do,” said Al Gilson, WSDOT spokesman. “Engineers for the city and state are watching it closely and might make some minor adjustments.”

Traffic became so congested Monday that cars stretched from the freeway to the Monroe and Maple Street bridges.

Drivers were looking for answers at Jack in the Box on Third Avenue, said manager Shanna Jacobson.

“Customers are asking for directions on how to get through it,” Jacobson said. “People are very unhappy.”

On the freeway, narrow lanes and closed ramps caused delays.

Construction also meant tickets aplenty for people failing to heed the 45 mph speed limit.

Washington State Patrol troopers stopped and ticketed many drivers Monday in the construction zone, where fines are doubled, said Trooper Mark Baker.

“One guy was driving 80 in the 45 mph zone and didn’t have insurance,” said Baker. “It cost him $1,400.”

Troopers ticketed 1,600 drivers in the viaduct construction zone last year.

“We’re trying to get out the message that we’re there working hard. It’s the only way to keep crashes down,” Baker said.

There were no collisions in the 45 mph zone last year, although there were a few just outside it.

For many drivers, the main concern is avoiding traffic jams.

Westbound I-90 backed up all the way to the Sprague Avenue exit for a time Monday morning, with drivers clogging some exits as they tried to escape the jam.

Downtown streets did not back up significantly during the morning commute, due in part to signals that were adjusted to help traffic flow, said Spokane Street Department spokeswoman Ann Deasy-Nolan.

“People learned from last year,” said Spokane Transit Authority spokeswoman Molly Myers.

STA had no delays during the morning commute, and riders seemed prepared for adjusted schedules on the Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake express routes.

Traffic will remain on its usual sides of the freeway for a few days as crews work at night to place concrete barriers.

“When the barrier is set, that’s when we’ll scrunch traffic together,” said Gilson.

The work will repair ruts in the viaduct as well as joints that hold the roadway in place.