The Washington state Department of Transportation is planning a $1.4 million interior remodel of its Traffic Management Center, says Amy Browne-Minden, a principal at Design West Architects P.A. 

According to Browne-Minden, a bidding process for a contractor will start in May, with construction beginning in the first week of June. KWR LLC and Kartchner Engineering PLLC, both of Spokane, are providing electrical and mechanical engineering services, respectively. 

“The project will be completed this year,” Browne-Minden says. 

The traffic management center is located on the campus of the Washington state Department of Transportation Eastern Region headquarters at 2802 N. Mayfair. The 13-acre campus is comprised of several buildings, and the structure that houses the traffic management center is only about one-third occupied. The remodel will occur in the remaining two-thirds of underutilized space, she says. 

According to the application filed with the city of Spokane, a 2,500-square-foot interior will be remodeled into office space. The construction includes wood stud walls, storefront windows, plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. 

The Spokane regional Traffic Management Center is a 24/7 operational facility that monitors traffic and directs and supports incident response to keep roads clear and traffic moving safely. According to the department's website, staff at the center monitor hundreds of cameras located throughout the state’s highway system and use data from traffic detectors on highways to observe traffic conditions in real-time, even where cameras may not be available.  

The traffic management center is also responsible for conveying information to the public through electronic signs, real-time travel data web pages, mobile applications, and local media stations, among others. 

Browne-Minden says there are no plans to hire more people to her knowledge, only to expand and enhance the existing underutilized space.