The city of Spokane is in the midst of a busy construction season, working to complete street projects totaling about $8.7 million. 

City spokeswoman Julie Happy says that starting in mid-June, a section of 37th Avenue from Regal Street to Custer Street will be under reconstruction. She says the $5.1 million project, awarded to Murphy Brothers Inc., will include reconstruction of the roadway, replacement of pavement, curbs, sidewalks, and bike lanes. 

The project also will replace storm water piping, including a 36-inch water main. The project is expected to be completed by late November, she says.  

Happy says the city also has moved into the second phase of its Monroe Street-Lincoln Street couplet project. She says the $3.1 million project, awarded to LaRiviere Equipment & Excavation Inc., will include work on five one block sections between Monroe and Lincoln streets, from Second Avenue to Main Avenue. 

Construction on that phase began the last week of May and is expected to be completed at the end of November, she says.  

According to Happy, the first two weeks of construction began in the areas where each avenue intersects with Monroe Street, with the exception of the street’s Main Avenue and Second Avenue intersections. The project’s next two weeks will include work at the intersections of each avenue with Lincoln Street.  

“This is a full depth roadway replacement between the curbs on Monroe and Lincoln streets. There will be some minor curbing and ADA (Americans with Disabilities  Act) ramps installed, as well as curb bump-outs that will decrease crossing distance for pedestrians,” says Happy. 

She adds that the project also will include some lighting replacements and landscaping updates. 

“We hope the public will try to remain patient during this construction season, as there is a lot of work going on right now,” she says.

In northeast Spokane, the city also is working to relocate water and sewer lines at the intersection of Freya Street and Wellesley Avenue, ahead of the Washington state Department of Transportation’s installation of a roundabout at that location. 

She says the $540,700 project was awarded to Red Diamond Construction Inc. and began in early May. It’s expected to finish by the end of June to allow for construction of the roundabout to begin.  

According to Al Gilson, WSDOT’s Spokane-based spokesman the roundabout project will go out for construction bids in mid-June. He estimates construction costs will be between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. 

“Once we get a contractor, we will have better idea of how to progress,” says Gilson. “Currently we are looking to begin construction of the project and see it through to completion within 2016.” 

One project the department is set to begin working on this month involves Interstate 90-Freya Street interchange ramp improvements. 

In a Journal story about the project in February, WSDOT officials said they hoped that ramp improvements would ease congestion at the busy freeway interchange. 

Currently, the I-90 westbound ramp is too short and traffic backs up during busy commute periods. Adding to the congestion is the fact that Freya, the off-ramp, and Second Avenue all meet at one traffic signal, creating the need for three signal phases. 

Project manager Larry Larson says the $2.1 million project, awarded to Shamrock Paving Inc. last month, will include lengthening the current I-90 westbound ramp, which will route traffic onto Second Avenue several blocks prior to Freya. 

He says that will enable drivers to select the proper lane to continue west on Second or turn north on Freya well ahead of the traffic signal. As a result, the traffic signal then will require only two phases, rather than its current three. 

Larson says the department currently is working through the process of beginning construction. 

“We anticipate a June start to construction, and expect the project will be completed sometime in July,” says Larson.