Construction on the 10.5-mile North Spokane Corridor project, which eventually will meet up with Interstate 90, is proceeding southward along the western edge of the Spokane Community College campus, says Washington state Department of Transportation project engineer Terrence Lynch.

Lynch says construction of the corridor is segmented into multiple components, one of which recently has been sent out to bid.

Among the ongoing projects, Lynch says the Spokane River to Columbia Avenue portion will include the interchange at Wellesley Avenue. It’s expected to wrap up later this year. 

Another corridor development is the Children of the Sun shared-use trail, which will run the length of the corridor and connect to the Centennial Trail.

Project information on the state Department of Transportation’s website shows the trail likely will be completed this summer.

A third project includes the twin North Spokane Corridor bridges on the western side of SCC’s campus, east of Greene Street, he says.

Additionally, the department recently opened bids on a portion of corridor development called the Spokane River Crossing, Lynch says.

“That one is going to connect two of the North Spokane Corridor bridges over the Spokane River. It will also build a third pedestrian bridge over the Spokane River,” he says. “That work should be underway this summer.”

Some significant right-of-way purchases still need to be completed in the industrial and commercial areas along the corridor’s path, and they have been more complex than the residential purchases, he says.

Overall, Lynch says the North Spokane Corridor is progressing and market conditions aren’t expected to impact the delivery of the project.

He says that settling on the type of connection to make at Interstate 90 also is taking a little longer than anticipated, “which means that the start of that project has been pushed out a year, but we’re really not behind any schedule.”

Lynch says the $1.49 billion North Spokane Corridor is on track to open in 2030.