SPOKANE, Wash. – Road construction in Eastern Washington is set to resume after a month-long strike ended with a tentative three-year agreement. Crews are returning to job sites, but some delays remain.
The strike impacted the North Spokane Corridor project, with the river crossing section now delayed to early next year. However, Ryan Overton, spokesperson for the Washington Department of Transportation Eastern District, assured the public that the overall timeline remains unaffected.
“For the public, it has no overall impact. And to the timeline itself for the North Spokane corridor. It will not impact the completion of the overall project,” Overton said.
Current delays focus on paving projects, as colder weather affects asphalt setting. Overton noted that many asphalt plants closed on October 1, making it challenging to complete these projects before that date.
Spokane County’s roadwork projects also face a two-week delay, contingent on weather conditions. This affects drivers on Country Homes Boulevard, Elk-Chattaroy Road and Hatch Road between Ballard and Colbert.
Upcoming paving projects on Highway 195 near Pullman and Highway 395 are postponed to spring 2026. Overton explained the decision to delay these projects.
“So that’s why we made the decision for the two paving projects to push to spring of 2026 when they restart. Otherwise, we’d be kind of entering this window of unknown. We need certain temperatures,” he said.
Other improvements, including shoulder work, sidewalks, ADA ramps, bike lanes, and curbing, will continue into 2026. Overton mentioned a cold mix solution for temporary pothole repairs during the winter.
“We have a cold mix solution that we use during the wintertime. So if a pothole forms on a roadway that we haven’t repaved yet, they’ll just go out and refill it,” Overton said.
For more details on the Washington Department of Transportation projects, visit their official site. [Insert link placeholder]
