Highway repaving projects beginning
Trent work runs from Sullivan Road to Idaho border
Work will start today on a major repaving project on state Highway 290 from Sullivan Road to the Idaho state line.
A state transportation budget signed Friday by Gov. Jay Inslee provides funding for the project to resurface the highway, also known as Trent Avenue.
State officials said the road surface shows signs of distress and wear. Periodically replacing the top layer of asphalt will prevent water from getting into the deeper roadbed and causing additional damage, engineers said.
Poe Asphalt Paving of Clarkston was the winning bidder on the $3.7 million contract.
In addition to new pavement, the highway will get new lane stripes and rumble strips along the centerline to alert drivers when they drift into the oncoming lane.
Work this week will be confined to the Sullivan Road connection with Highway 290. In addition, workers will take pavement core samples in preparation for the larger project.
The Trent Avenue job is one of three big repaving projects underway on highways in Eastern Washington.
Work is getting started on a repaving project on U.S. Highway 195 through Colfax to Dry Creek Road to the north.
From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night this week, Main Street in Colfax will be reduced to one lane in each direction from Railroad Avenue to the Y at state Highway 26.
In addition, drivers may encounter delays as the repaving job begins from Colfax northward.
Poe Asphalt won a $2.2 million contract for the job.
Another repaving job on U.S. 195 from Pullman to Babbitt Road is continuing. That stretch is about 9 miles long.
Drivers who want to use state Highway 27 as an alternate route will also find that crews are applying a chip seal surface to that highway from Palouse to Garfield.
Single-lane traffic with flaggers and pilot cars will be guiding traffic through work zones.
State panel meets
The Washington State Transportation Commission will meet at Spokane City Hall on Tuesday to hear about local and regional transportation issues.
The meeting in the council chambers starts at 8 a.m. with a discussion about ferries.
At 9 a.m., the commission will hear a series of short presentations on transportation needs in and around Spokane.
A panel of representatives from construction, tourism and manufacturing will discuss the significance of transportation facilities to economic development.
Another session will focus on rail shipping, including improvements to the BNSF Railway mainline and the state-owned Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad feeder line.
“This information helps the commission to develop and implement transportation policies and recommendations that reflect the priorities of the people and local governments throughout the state,” a commission news release said last week.
Regional projects
Pavement repair and other work will cause traffic disruptions on several highways in Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties. Traffic will be limited to a single line of alternating traffic in work zones.
The locations are state Highway 20 from Tiger to the Pend Oreille mill; state Highway 31 from Sweet Creek to Slumber Road; state Highway 20 from the Okanogan County line to Republic; state Highway 21 near Bear Creek; state highways 20 and 21 from Republic to the Canadian border; and U.S. Highway 395 from Boyds to the Canadian border.
The Columbia River bridge at Northport in Stevens County will get an inspection this week.
The bridge, on state Highway 25, will be reduced to a single lane of traffic from 7 a.m. to as late as 5 p.m. today through Thursday.
The highway leads to a border crossing into Canada at Paterson.
Work in Valley
In Spokane Valley, work continues on Argonne Road at Knox and at Montgomery avenues.
Broadway Avenue from Havana Street to Fancher Road is reduced to one lane in each direction during road work.
Sullivan Road from Sprague to Mission avenues is reduced to two lanes northbound for stormwater and sidewalk improvements.
I-90 milestone
The state Department of Transportation held a groundbreaking ceremony last week for a new phase of Interstate 90 widening east of Snoqualmie Pass.
The 2-mile section of the freeway near the Price Creek snow park will include a new overpass intended solely for use by wildlife.
The freeway is being widened from four to six lanes in a multiyear project.
The groundbreaking was held to signify the start of the portion of the project from Keechelus Dam to the Stampede Pass interchange.
Gas gift card winner
Jon Powers of Spokane won a $50 gasoline gift card from Cenex as part of the fuel company’s Tanks of Thanks program. Cenex officials said he was rewarded for being a helpful in giving people rides or fixing their vehicles.