Getting There: Fix It Fest turning bumpy streets into nice rides

The city of Spokane is repairing some of the bumpiest streets that have nagged drivers for years.

Work last week turned to 17th Avenue from Perry Street to Fiske Avenue just east of Ray Street.

The city provided a $1 million cash infusion into its street repair budget for 2017 after a brutally damaging winter season that led to what the city is calling Fix It Fest.

At the same time, a Spokane Public Schools project to restore and expand Franklin Elementary School is now underway at 17th and Mount Vernon Street.

The school district is removing portable classrooms and replacing a 1953 addition with a new 36,000-square-foot expansion in addition to restoration of the historic schoolhouse.

The arterial will remained closed during the repaving, which could last for several weeks.

Other rough streets are also getting fixed.

One of the bumpiest is Sharp Avenue from Pearl to Hamilton streets on the north side of Gonzaga University. It is also on the Fix It list.

Here are the other Fix It projects:

Sunset Boulevard west of downtown.

North Freya Street near Esmeralda Golf Course.

Also, North Freya near Frederick Avenue at Cooper Elementary School.

Freya at Fifth Avenue.

Thor Street from Third to 11th avenues. Also, Thor between Sprague and Second avenues.

Fourth Avenue near Lewis and Clark High School.

In all, about 14 miles of streets will be repaired. Some of them will get what the city calls a “thin overlay” of asphalt to hold them in shape for reconstruction starting in 2018 and beyond, according to Marlene Feist, city spokeswoman.

Westbound I-90 lane closure starts Thursday

Westbound Interstate 90 is going to have one lane closed in a detour through a bridge joint reconstruction just west of the Hamilton interchange starting early Thursday through July 16.

Set-up work begins on Wednesday night when only one lane will be open starting at 10 p.m.

The lane restriction follows similar restrictions in the eastbound lanes earlier this season.

Traffic backups are expected.

I-90 paving underway west of Spokane

On Interstate 90, paving is underway to repair damaged roadway between Fishtrap and Sprague Lake.

Repaving and maintenance work is occurring on state highways across the region.

Projects are underway on the state Highway 25 bridge at Northport; the North Fork of the Sanpoil River bridge on state Highway 21; state Highway 31 from Tiger to Metaline Falls; state Highway 270 at Pullman; state Highway 271 from Rosalia to Oakesdale; state Highway 272 from Colfax to the Idaho border; and state Highway 904 through Cheney.

Monroe and Lincoln repairs start July 10

In one of the biggest projects in the city, construction repairs on Monroe and Lincoln streets from Main to Second avenues will start July 10.

“Crews will be working on concrete corner bulb-out revisions/repairs and adjusting iron in preparation for the final lift paving and striping. There will be reduced access at the intersections along this project due to this work, according to a city news release.

The newly poured curbs were damaged by snow plows last winter.

Elsewhere, a bevy of other city projects

Elsewhere in the city, 37th Avenue remains closed from Regal to Ray streets for reconstruction and other improvements.

Combined sewer overflow projects are causing street obstructions on Spokane Falls Boulevard downtown; Sprague and First avenues at Adams Street; Bridge Avenue at Monroe Street; and Upriver Drive east of Rebecca.

Garco Construction crews will begin preparation for an excavation that will close the Spokane Library parking garage from Monday through July 23, city officials said.

T.J. Meenach Drive will be closed from July 24 through Sept. 11.

Strong Road from Rustle to Phoebe streets is closed for construction on Barnes Road.

Division and Ruby streets have lane reductions due to work on sidewalks as part of the Division Street gateway project from Spokane Falls Boulevard to Third Avenue.

Appleway Trail work will bring lane closures

In Spokane Valley, lane closures are expected on Pines and McDonald roads for construction of the Appleway Trail from Pines to Evergreen roads.

Sewer projects on Euclid Avenue from Flora to Tschirley roads and Flora Road from Euclid to Dalton avenues may result in lane closures.

ITD wins award for landslide cleanup

The Idaho Transportation Department has won a regional award from the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for its response to a landslide that closed Idaho’s Highway 14 near Elk City last winter.

The state estimated that two slides unleashed 47 million pounds of debris. One boulder weighed an estimated 2.4 million pounds.

The cleanup took six months at a cost of $3.5 million.