SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The impact of the Union of Operating Engineers 302 strike continues across Spokane and Kootenai Counties. Construction and road projects came to a grinding halt on August 12, but now a new factor is at play: back-to-school season.
One project where students and parents could run into some roadblocks next week is on Wellesley Avenue in Spokane Valley between the Tolford and Isenhart intersections. There, the Wellesley Avenue Preservation Project is on pause due to the strike.
“August 12th we had our final lift of pavement set to be completed on Wellesley,” Robert Blegen of Spokane Valley Public Works said. “That’s the day the strike occurred so that work was cancelled.”
The problem? This project is on the street directly across from East Valley High School. There, over 900 students will return to school as the Fall semester begins on August 27.
NonStop Local reached out to East Valley High School to see how they are preparing for any possible disruptions, but administrators declined to speak on camera.
“With the start of school next week, East Valley School District is deeply concerned that the current delay of the Wellesley project will add chaos to our transportation services and greatly limit the ability of our parents, staff and students to access our campus safely,” their Assistant Principal Alec Vermaire shared in a statement.
Spokane Valley Public Works says they are trying to make the area as easy as possible to navigate for returning students.
“We want to provide the safest environment for the students to get to and from school, and the parents and the people driving the buses,” Blegen said. “We are working with the contractor daily and encouraging them to find that resource and to continue the work as quickly as possible.”
While notices were posted on homes in the area on Thursday asking neighbors to prepare for paving to begin the next day, the city says that when exactly work will resume remains uncertain.
