Construction of the North Spokane Corridor is entering a new phase as crews begin building the foundations for an elevated four-lane highway, a major step toward completing the 10.5-mile project.

Currently, the project is in stage three of the Sprague Avenue to Spokane River section of work, says Ryan Overton, deputy communications director at the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Construction of stage three started in September 2025. Spokane-based Max J. Kuney Co., which does business as Kuney Construction, is the contractor. 

Construction of stage three is expected to run through 2027, says Overton.

Workers are currently constructing the drilled shafts, rebar, and bridge pier foundations to support the divided highway.

Kuney Construction also is the general contractor for two ongoing sections of corridor work: the Spokane River Crossing vehicle and pedestrian bridges.

Upcoming work includes the installation of prestressed girders formed at a Knife River Corp. plant in Newman Lake, Washington, in the next two months, Overton says.

North of stage three, construction of the Sprague Avenue to Spokane River stage two segment is expected to begin by July, says Overton. The project will run from Mission Avenue, where it will connect to the existing stage one roadway next to Spokane Community College, over Trent Avenue and south to Alki Avenue.

Stage two also encompasses the construction of a half interchange at Trent Avenue, including a new northbound on-ramp and a southbound off-ramp, and a roundabout. 

Once interchange work is completed in late 2028, WSDOT will open a section of the North Spokane Corridor from Wellesley Avenue to Trent Avenue to vehicle traffic. This will make an additional 2.5 miles of road drivable, and bringing the total drivable amount on the corridor to 9.5 miles out of a total length of 10.5 miles, Overton says.

The final stage of the corridor project will connect Interstate 90 to the North Spokane Corridor. The expected construction timeline is from 2027 to 2030. Final stage work will include connections between Freya Street and Applewood Avenue, Hamilton Street to Thor Street, two roundabouts at Altamont Street, and interchange structures. 

The entirety of the project is expected to be drivable in late 2030 or early 2031, Overton says.

The current funding for the North Spokane Corridor project is $1.9 billion, up from $1.5 billion in 2025. The change in cost is due to added costs related to inflation, labor, and material costs, he adds.

Additional funding was provided to the project in the 2025 legislative session.

—Ethan Pack