Pines Road and Grace Avenue intersection safety project will begin this summer

Plans to correct a problem intersection in Spokane Valley are moving forward.

The Pines Road and Grace Avenue intersection safety project, which has been in the planning process since 2012, will begin this summer.

The project will widen Pines Road from four to five lanes between Mirabeau Parkway and Grace Avenue by adding a center turn lane to improve safety.

The project also aims to improve sight distance on the west side of the intersection.

The Pines and Grace intersection has been a safety concern for the city, with more than 41 reported collisions from 2012 to 2016. About 16 crashes resulted in injuries with one fatal crash occurring five months ago.

Most crashes involved vehicles that were rear-ended at 35 mph while waiting in a lane of traffic to make a left-hand turn on Pines.

The city in 2016 began the initial design process for the intersection safety project. The plan was to purchase land on each corner of the intersection to remove sight obstructions, but the city was unable to come to “reasonable negotiations” with a property owner on the southwest corner of the intersection.

As a result, the city settled on a median island design – referred to as a “pork chop” – that restricted eastbound drivers on Grace to right-hand turns.

Several residents at a community meeting last year expressed concerns with the “pork chop” design, claiming it would divert traffic to other streets and cause safety issues.

The city abandoned the previous plan and opted for a WSDOT-approved design that narrows lanes to 11 feet and widens a portion of the sidewalk near the intersection.

The project cost is $871,000, which is funded by a federal safety grant and $200,000 from the city’s stormwater budget.

Spokane Valley Project Engineer Craig Aldworth said with the development of several apartment complexes in the area, people typically exit at the Grace and Pines intersection.

Walls, signs and high fences have been built over the years, obstructing views at the intersection, he said.

“All of those have made it very difficult to see around that corner,” said Aldworth.

Councilman Sam Wood asked city staff how residents were able to obtain a permit for a tall fence that has been obstructing views on the southwest corner of the intersection.

City staff said permitting for the fence hasn’t been approved and it plans to have code enforcement contact the homeowner to remove or trim portions of the fence.

The homeowner told The Spokesman-Review he spoke with the city and agreed to move the fence back 13 inches to make room for the project.

The project is expected to be completed in August.