Wellesley Road improvements aimed at smoother rides, improved EVHS access and pedestrian safety

Construction will start Monday on a few-block section of Wellesley Avenue adjacent to East Valley High School.

The project, which will cost a little less than $1.1 million, will bring new pavement, turn lanes, stormwater system, traffic islands and crosswalks to the arterial.

The project was approved by the Spokane Valley City Council last month in a 6-1 vote. Councilman Tim Hattenburg said improved pedestrian crossings are “sorely needed with the traffic volume and schools in the area.”

The project borders the high school and isn’t far from East Valley Middle School.

Councilman Ben Wick praised city employees for coming up with a plan satisfactory to nearby residents.

The design will maintain 80% of the existing street parking, removing it only to make room for turn lanes at Tolford and Moore roads, improving routes into the high school.

“There was a lot of great work and coordination that went into this project,” Wick said.

Two original plans called for installation of bicycle lanes. After hearing from residents, however, the bike lanes were eliminated to maintain street parking, even though the route is part of Spokane Valley’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.

Repaving will start at Tolford Road, just east of Sullivan Road, and stop at Isenhart Road.

Councilman Al Merkel cast the lone vote against the project. He argued that the city should have smoothed the pavement using grind and overlay and not moved forward with the creation of turn lanes or other design changes, which he said are unnecessary at current traffic volumes. In grind and overlay projects, street crews remove the top layer of pavement and repave the top.

Spokane Valley Engineering Manager Rob Lochmiller said the pavement is in such poor condition that officials determined it made more sense to completely rebuild the road. He stressed that the winning bid, from Big Sky Corp. in Hayden, was 30% less than what the project was estimated to cost. Seven companies bid on the project.

Councilwoman Laura Padden was among council members who said it is important that the city make improvements, like to the stormwater system, while the road is being fixed. Otherwise, the pavement might have to get torn up soon after it’s smoothed.

City Manager John Hohman said the city got multiple competitive bids because there aren’t a lot of public construction projects moving forward.

“There’s a lot of hungry contractors out there,” Hohman said.