Barker Bridge opens; but work on Sprague, Broadway delayed

Spokane Valley road construction projects are perking along as summer goes into full swing. Most notably the Barker Road Bridge opened for traffic for the first time in two years on Monday. Cars can now cross the Spokane River, though the speed limit on the bridge has been lowered to 20 mph while crews complete finishing touches and remove a temporary work bridge from the river.

The Centennial Trail is still closed and the river access on the north side of the river is also closed. They will reopen in July when the work bridge has been removed.

Some changes have been made to the construction schedule of the Sullivan corridor projects. The Sprague Avenue and Sullivan Road intersection project, which was originally scheduled to start in June, has been pushed back to late July. The intersection will be completely closed for three weeks with detours in place, but drivers will still have access to businesses located at the intersection.

Rescheduling that project has also led to the delay of the Broadway Improvement Project from Moore Road to Flora Road. City of Spokane Valley engineers don’t want to have two large construction projects going on in the same area at the same time. The Broadway project is now slated to begin in August and last through October.

The project will include a roundabout at Broadway Avenue and Flora and the widening of Broadway to accommodate two traffic lanes, a center turn lane, sidewalks and bike paths. During construction Broadway east of Conklin Road to Flora will be closed to through traffic and Conklin will be closed at Broadway. The intersection of Broadway and Flora will be closed for five weeks while the roundabout is constructed.

Both projects are partially funded by grants. For more information call project manager Craig Aldworth at (509) 729-5001.