Washington state Department of Transportation is working to wrap up two projects this spring relating to the North Spokane Corridor, and plans to start another this summer, says design project engineer Bob Hilmes.

So far, the department has completed 5.5 miles of the 10.5-mile, $1.49 billion project, which ultimately will create a freeway linking Interstate 90 in east Spokane to U.S. 395 north of Spokane.

Hilmes says the department is currently wrapping up a $7.6 million Freya Street structures project, which includes two main line freeway bridges over Freya, just north of Francis Avenue. The project, awarded to Spokane-based Max J. Kuney, was started last spring.

“The Freya structures project reached substantial completion this fall and has just a few items remaining to be fully completed,” he says.

Hilme says the department also nearly is finished with the $8.2 million Columbia to Freya project, which was started last June. Awarded to Spokane-based Acme Concrete Paving Inc., the project includes a nearly one-mile freeway section, extending the freeway southward from the Freya bridges to the vicinity of Columbia Avenue.

“The Columbia-Freya project is about halfway done, but has shut-down for the winter,” says Hilme. “Construction should resume by late March, with the project reaching completion by late June or mid-July.”

Looking ahead, Hilmes says that starting this summer, Wellesley Avenue between Market and Freya streets will be closed for three years, and travelers can expect both temporary and permanent road closures as NSC construction north of the Spokane River commences.

During the Wellesley closure, three major projects are planned—construction of a Wellesley Avenue interchange, construction of a section of the NSC from Carlisle Avenue to Wellesley that includes a bridge over Euclid Avenue, and construction of the accompanying Children of the Sun Trail and pedestrian bridges and amenities from Columbia south across the Spokane River.

Plans show that during construction of these three projects, Francis, Euclid, and Carlisle avenues, and Upriver Drive are expected to remain open. However, Euclid between Market and Ralph streets will have intermittent closures.

Hilmes says the department will seek bids this week for what’s being called The NSC BNSF Second Rail Realignment Project, the first project planned for the area during the Wellesley Avenue closure. 

“This project necessitates the closure of Wellesley from Market to Freya for two years,” he says. “We’re planning to close the street by midsummer, but we’re not sure exactly when, because there’s other work that needs to happen first.”

Hilmes says the project has an estimated cost of just under $30 million.

The project will include relocating and realigning BNSF Railway Co. track to make way for the NSC main line alignment from Rowan Avenue, south to Cleveland Avenue.

“It will also create two new railroad bridges over Wellesley and includes some grading work for the NSC,” he says.

Hilmes says once the NSC BNSF Second Rail Realignment project is completed, work will start on the next two projects--the Wellesley Avenue Interchange and constructing a portion of the NSC main line from Columbia south to the Spokane River.

“Those projects aren’t set to start until 2020,” he says. “But once the Wellesley Avenue Interchange is complete, we expect traffic will be able to use that portion of the freeway by late 2022.”

The cost to complete the North Spokane Corridor from its current southernmost point to I-90 has been estimated at $750 million in today’s dollars.