SPOKANE, Wash. — The final phase of a nearly 30-year construction project will resume in April, with construction expected to be complete later this fall.
Crews will continue working on the Bigelow Gulch-Forker Road Urban Connector starting April 1. Drivers should expect Bigelow Gulch Road to be closed from Havana Street to Weile Road. Local traffic and emergency vehicles will be allowed access.
A detour will be in place at Francis Avenue and Market Street, continuing north into Mead. Then, drivers will turn east, ending at Argonne Road and Bigelow Gulch Road.
Construction will last until late fall, with crews focusing on the following:
Rock blasting and final earthwork for the subgrade and drainage.
Road surfacing: a cement treatment base, crushed rock surface and hot mix asphalt will be added.
Illumination system and guardrails will be installed, along with signing and striping.
The $81,750,000 project started in 1997 when Spokane County noticed increased traffic on Bigelow Gulch and Forker Roads, especially freight traffic. The County began to work in phases to improve the roadway and its safety.
“When completed, the corridor would support state and regional freight mobility initiatives by connecting north Spokane, Spokane Valley, Interstate-90, and eventually the North-South Freeway,” Spokane County said.
This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation-Federal Highway Administration, Washington State Department of Transportation, Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, and the County Road Administration Board.
