Inland Asphalt Co., of Spokane, is the apparent low bidder on a nearly five-mile resurfacing project in North Spokane that will include major changes at the busy intersection known as the Division Street Y.


One additional northbound lane of traffic will be added to Division where U.S. 2 branches off to the northeast, and on the other side of the intersection another southbound lane will be added to U.S. 2 where it joins Division. Also, a new traffic signal configuration will be installed to serve southbound vehicles on U.S. 395 that are approaching the Y.


Currently, the northbound side of Division as it approaches the Y has only one lane that turns northeast onto U.S. 2. Two southbound lanes of U.S. 2 currently approach that intersection from the northeast, with the right lane mandated to turn north onto U.S. 395 or southwest onto Country Homes Boulevard and the left lane connecting to the southbound lanes of Division.


The planned intersection changes are part of a larger resurfacing project that will extend for 4.7 miles along Division from Houston Avenue to the Y, and then extend along U.S. 2 to Farwell Road, says Kirby Wallace, of the Washington state Department of Transportation.


Inlands bid of about $4.1 million was above state estimates of about $3.5 million.


If the DOT decides to go ahead with the project at the higher cost, construction is expected to begin about Aug. 1 and to last about three months, says Wallace.


I hope we can get this work done this year, he says. Much of the work will be done at night.


The project contract will prohibit any lane closures on weekends between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., as well as any southbound lane closures from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and northbound lane closures from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, he says.


Wallace says the overall resurfacing will include a lot of grinding, with the inlaying of asphalt. It also will include a lot of intelligent transportation systems work such as fiber optics and traffic signals.