Local projects ready for stimulus funding

With all of the talk in Washington, D.C., about stimulating the economy through public construction, one thing seems likely: More federal money is headed to the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene region for road and highway projects.

Democrats are sculpting proposals that would essentially use borrowed money to pay for pavement as part of a broader economic stimulus effort.

Putting people to work on construction clearly has short-term economic benefits, and building a better transportation system creates value through increased efficiency in the long run, proponents said.

But there’s a catch.

The new federal money would have to be put to work right away. Only projects that are ready or close to going to contract could qualify. The idea is to get jobs rolling and completed within a year or two to boost the economy out of recession. These so-called “shovel-ready” projects would be first in line to get stimulus money.

Fortunately, the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene region has at least four or five big projects that may qualify.

They include widening Interstate 90 from Sullivan to Barker roads; constructing bridges over rail lines at Havana Street in east Spokane and Pleasant View Road near Idaho Highway 53; adding more lanes to a Spokane freeway north of Francis Avenue; and repair work on Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 395.

“We could get the money to the ground real quickly with those projects,” said Jeff Selle, manager of government relations for the Spokane Regional Transportation Council.

The U.S. House of Representatives has been considering an initial $61 billion package that would include $231 million in transportation projects in Washington and $94 million in Idaho.

Any funding that’s received from the package would have to be put to work in 120 days, a short timeline considering the complexity of bringing large projects to bid. The bill’s distribution formula would direct $23 million to the Spokane area, Selle said.

Widening I-90 between Sullivan and Barker would cost $20 million, while the Havana Street bridge over BNSF Railway tracks is estimated at $16 million.

Because of political controversy over a bailout for automakers, the $61 billion House stimulus package may not get passed before the end of the current Congress.

An even larger funding package of up to $700 billion may be on the table when President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January. A significant portion of that would likely go to infrastructure projects.

In addition to roads, the region also could benefit if Congress makes money available for new research facilities and alternative transportation routes.

Selle said funding for trail projects being sought through the Smart Routes planning effort could get stimulus money, too.

An upgrade for Hillyard

Hillyard’s historic commercial area on Market Street is going to get a big makeover.

The city of Spokane last week announced two new grants for major construction in Hillyard and along Francis Avenue. About half of the money would go for new sidewalks and street amenities for the commercial district along Market.

That money would be teamed with a city street rehabilitation project slated for Market Street through Hillyard next year.

The grants from the state Transportation Improvement Board would provide $2.7 million for transportation-related economic development through the TIB’s urban corridor program. The grant would allow for construction of wheelchair-accessible sidewalks, pedestrian lighting and street trees, with a new irrigation system along Market Street from Heroy to Columbia avenues.

A separate $2.5 million grant through the TIB’s urban arterial program would be used for building a left-turn lane and adding sidewalks and bicycle lanes on Francis Avenue from Freya to Havana streets. That project is set for construction in 2011.

Better lane markers

Drivers this winter may find it easier to see their lanes at night on 23 miles of I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass.

The state has spent $700,000 on a pilot project to place stripes and reflectors below the surface level of the pavement by cutting insets at different depths. The idea is to put the markers below the surface level where studded tires, chains and harsh weather can obliterate the markers.

Log on before your drive

The Washington state Department of Transportation recommends checking travel conditions and possible problem spots prior to taking a trip by going to its Web site at http://wsdot.wa.gov. Idaho highways can be checked at http://itd.idaho.gov.