The city of Spokane has awarded a $3.7 million contract to MRM Construction Inc., of Ellensburg, Wash., to extend a second water main from Spokane to the Spokane International Airport area on the West Plains.

In the project, the contractor will install a 36-inch diameter water main from about West Drive, just east of Indian Canyon Golf Course, to Spotted Road, just north of the airport.

The line will run west from West Drive through the golf course's driving range, then continue west along Deska Drive to U.S. 2. From there, it will run along the north side of the highway, and continue west to Spotted Road. At Spotted Road, the contractor will bore under U.S. 2 to run the transmission line south to the airport area, says Chris Peterschmidt, a Spokane water-system engineer.

Peterschmidt says the work might begin this season and is expected to take about 20 weeks to complete. The city doesn't anticipate disruption to the golf course or any major traffic detours during the project, he says.

The project will provide a redundant water line to the airport area in case of emergency and to increase capacity there. That area currently is served by a single transmission line, Peterschmidt says. The project is being done separately from similar work to extend a city water transmission line to Fairchild Air Force Base, he says.