State scales back plan for I-90 improvement

The Washington state Department of Transportation has revised its construction plan for the Interstate 90 area between Barker Road and the Idaho state line, making it smaller in scope and nearly cutting the price in half.

Tight funding has forced the state to change its approach, said WSDOT project engineer Larry Larson. The focus now is on practical design.

“That means we maintain well what we have and we build only what we need when we need it,” Larson said.

At the Spokane Valley City Council meeting on June 9, Larson presented the scaled-down project to the council.

The original project cost about $89 million and included expanding I-90 from Barker to the Idaho state line to three lanes in each direction and purchasing land for a fourth lane.

It also included improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the Barker Road bridge, as well as widening of Barker Road and replacement of the bridge.

Larson said the Barker Road bridge is too low at 14 feet 9 inches, which forces some taller loads to detour.

The revised project also defers replacement of the Barker Road bridge as well as the construction of new ramps at Henry Road.

“That takes the cost of the project to $45 million,” Larson said. “It’s a lot of pavement on I-90 that we will not be doing.”

He added that new traffic models show less traffic on I-90 than previously expected, and that caused WSDOT to abandon plans for widening the freeway.

Included in the scaled-back project are improvements to on- and off-ramps at the Barker Road interchange to help especially eastbound traffic flow better, as well improvements along Appleway Boulevard in Liberty Lake.

Construction will not start any time soon.

“Right now the Legislature is still in session and working on the funding package,” Larson said. “We don’t know what kind of revenue will come out of it. It may be 2029 before anything happens.”

Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley may undertake different projects connected to or leading up to the freeway before WSDOT begins its work on I-90.

“That depends on the funding they have available,” Larson said.

Larson emphasized that plans posted on WSDOT’s website are drafts.

“We are still in the process of designing and refining these designs,” Larson said.