SPOKANE — The City of Spokane is planning on building a unique roundabout in the Moran Prairie neighborhood as more housing developments take root along the Palouse Highway.
The roundabout would be at the intersection of the Palouse Highway and Freya, but it would need to accommodate 51st Avenue too. The city is proposing a peanut-shaped traffic circle to be built at the intersection.
Close to 100 townhomes are going in near the area. Today, traffic cones and construction equipment sit in their place.
Some residents living near the Freya intersection are preparing to move out in the next few years, saying their home is now unrecognizable. Others are curious what lies ahead.
“There’s been a lot of growth happening in all of our different parts of the community. So, it always helps right now and then looking into the future as well,” said Kirstin Davis, City of Spokane.
Early proposals show a peanut-shaped roundabout that accommodates 51st Avenue, but an expert needs to weigh in before construction can begin.
“It’s also important to remember that it’s not just a reconfiguration of traffic patterns or streetscape. We have sewer, we have water, we have stormwater management that we need to do as well,” Davis said.
The City Council approved a consultant tonight. The traffic study is estimated to take a year, so construction would not begin until at least 2027. The city says conversations with private property owners are still a ways down the road.
“We have a process, a right of way acquisition process that we work with property owners and work through those situations,” Davis said.
The peanut design is not set in stone yet. The city says there are a few unique roundabout designs to consider, like a dumbbell or starfish shape.
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