I90 Snoqualmie Pass Work Wrapping Up

One of the busiest construction seasons on Interstate 90 east of Snoqualmie Pass is wrapping up for winter. Rock blasting closures are done for the season, a new section of roadway opened recently to traffic, and roadside work zones will be cleared by mid-November. 

Also, earlier this summer, one of two new avalanche bridges opened to traffic and the westbound wildlife overcrossing started taking shape. Since April, the Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor crews also replaced about 4 miles of deteriorating sections of roadway between the Easton and Cle Elum areas and another 15-mile section in Ellensburg, finished painting the Vantage Bridge, replaced a section of damaged bridge deck at the Stampede Pass Interchange and installed new electronic message boards and traffic cameras near Ellensburg.


Some minor finishing work remains.  Drivers could still experience some minor delays due to lane closures and rolling slowdowns at the top of the pass as well as lane closures near Cle Elum and Ellensburg.

Construction and Increased Traffic Equals Extra Delays

Due to a number of events taking place in eastern Washington this weekend, you're encouraged to either get to your destinations early, wait to go later or use an alternate route.

Starting Thursday, June 23 through Friday, June 24 drivers will see delays on I90 in both directions near the Cle Elum area due to a paving project. Drivers are encouraged to use an alternate route via US 97 to SR 10. 

The Vantage Bridge is still down to a single lane eastbound due to a painting project. Drivers headed east will experience heavy congestion and stop and go traffic between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. and should consider taking an alternate route via US 97, I-82 or SR 24.

And rock blasting is scheduled to close I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass in both directions from mileposts 56 to 62 for an hour at 8 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, June 21 and Thursday, June 23.

Dead and Dying Trees to be Removed from Side of I90 in October

You may notice some work happening on the shoulder of Interstate 90 in Spokane Valley in the next couple weeks. Crews will be removing trees. These trees are ones that can't be saved and present a danger. About 50 of the Lombardy poplar trees that were originally planted in the 1990s to screen the view of the Spaulding salvage yard are dead or diseased. They generally have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years so are hitting the end of it right now. That makes them dangerous as they could fall onto the freeway.

The trees will be replaced with Austrian pine and Rocky Mountain junipers later this fall.

Paving Project to Cause Delays on I90 Near Cle Elum

Drivers traveling on Interstate 90 near Cle Elum should plan for delays for the next three months as crews repave several miles of cracked and deteriorating roadway.

This week, the Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor crews will reduce I-90 eastbound to a single lane from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. each night starting tonight (Tuesday, July 7) through Saturday, July 11.

Crews are repaving three miles of westbound I-90 near Cle Elum between mileposts 84 to 87.  This project is scheduled to be complete by October 2015.

I90 Lane Closures In Post Falls

If you plan to travel I90 through Post Falls tomorrow (Wednesday) through Friday, get ready for some lane closures and delays. Crews will be pouring concrete for the new Greensferry Overpass.

The eastbound right lane of I-90 will close from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday, and both eastbound and westbound lanes will be impacted on Friday, also between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. On Friday, crews will close the westbound right lane first, then the westbound left lane, and lastly, the eastbound left lane will be closed to do the work.

When completed, the new structure will feature two lanes in each direction, a center-turn lane, bicycle lanes and sidewalks on both sides connecting to Centennial Park.

I90 Repaving Project In Limbo Due To Federal Funding Issues

Well this is bad news! A Washington State Department of Transportation project to repave Interstate 90 east of Barker Road in Spokane Valley is one of 43 projects that may not happen due to the dwindling amount of money in the federal Highway Trust Fund.

The Spokesman-Review has the story here.

Snoqualmie Pass Closure

If you're headed to the west side of the state toward the end of the week, be aware that crews will be blasting again on the pass.  I-90 will be closed both directions from Hyak (milepost 54) to the Price Creek Sno-Park (milepost 61) from 7-8 p.m., Thursday, May 10. This work is weather dependent and is subject to change.

Rock blasting is part of the $551 million I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Hyak to Keechelus Dam project to widen a five-mile stretch of the highway from four to six lanes and improve reliability and safety. This multi-year project is funded by the 2005 gas tax and is scheduled to be complete in 2017.

I90 Rock Blasting Closure

Crews start rock blasting on Interstate 90 east of Snoqualmie Pass again this week as part of the $551 million I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Hyak to Keechelus Dam project to widen a five-mile stretch of the highway from four to six lanes.

I-90 will be closed in both directions between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursday, April 26, from Gold Creek (milepost 56) to the Price Creek Sno-Park (milepost 61). This work is weather dependent and may change.

Major I90 Lane Restrictions Next Week

If you use O-90 through Spokane Valley, get ready for some restrictions and delays over the next week or so; crews will be reconfiguring the freeway between Sullivan and Barker roads from two to three lanes each direction.

Eastbound I-90 will be reduced to single lane traffic during the following days and hours:

• Thursday, December 1st from 9 a.m. until 3p.m.
• Thursday, December 1st from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Friday morning.
• Friday, December 2nd from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
• Friday December 2nd from 7 p.m. until work is completed sometime Saturday mid-day.
• Westbound I-90 will continue to have two through lanes through the weekend.

You can expect slow or stop and go traffic, heavy congestion, and long delays during this work and may wish to consider alternate routes.

Westbound I-90 will have the following restrictions:

• On Monday, December 5th, beginning at 7 a.m. until work is complete, eastbound I-90 will be reduced to two through lanes for center barrier work.

• Westbound I-90 will be reduced to one through lane from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Major I90 Project Starts Monday

I'm off tomorrow for my 'flex' day so am warning you today about a project starting Monday that could have a BIG impact on I-90 traffic.

Starting July 11, crews begin repairs on the Altamont Street and Havana Street bridges on the freeway. Traffic will be squeezed into two lanes in each direction, 24-hours-per-day, until approximately Aug. 4 for the 1.4 miles between the bridges.
Plus several on and off ramps will be closed.

More than 100,000 drivers a day drive that stretch of I-90, so this could slow you down significantly. What I'm saying is plan ahead. You can do that by checking out www.SpokaneRoadFix.net.

Change Lanes Earlier Please To Avoid Congestion

Spokesman-Review Letter to the Editor
Drivers are Selfish

We have all noticed the construction on I-90. For whatever reason, one lane or the other is closed at some point between the Cheney on-ramp and the Maple Street exit. Unfortunately, there is no way to improve roads without inconveniencing driver so we are forced to cope.

I make the annoying drive into Spokane daily and every trip forces me to lose more and more faith in humanity. There are signs warning of the lane elimination for about three miles before the merging takes place; however, regardless of the warning signs, traffic seems at a standstill until the lane is completely taken away, when traffic reaches a normal speed once all the merging is over with.

This is because of the selfish drivers who race up to the barriers with their signal on waiting for someone equally as moronic to let them in. If people just merged over when they saw their lane was going to end, we would all be able to avoid the crawling speed and whiplash-evoking stops while everyone tried to merge at the same time.

Nicole Erickson
Cheney

Ms. Erickson has a point; it's not only annoying and causes congestion to merge at the last possible minute, but it's also a safety issue. Only thing she didn't say that I wish she had was that if a lot of you folks heading to or from Cheney from downtown would get on the bus, it would relieve some of that congestion. There, getting off my soapbox now.

NSC Open House Wednesday

I get asked all the time what's happening with the North Spokane Corridor and when the rest of the properties needed for the project will be acquired by the Washington State Department of Transportation. Well, here's a good way to find out: WSDOT will host an open house from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone St. in Spokane, to present information on the next phase of real estate acquisition in regards to the NSC.

No formal presentation is planned, so you can drop by anytime during the meeting. Project details will be on display for viewing with Engineering and Real Estate Services staff on hand to listen, answer questions, and take comments on the project.

WSDOT will soon begin purchasing homes in the area south of I-90 between the Liberty Park and Sprague Avenue Interchanges. Purchases will begin on the east end of the project limits and proceed west. The parcels WSDOT purchases are needed in order to widen I90 and build a new interchange to connect I-90 to the NSC eventually.

More information on the NSC project can be found here.

I90 Closure Near Snoqualmie

If you're headed across the Pass in the next few days, be prepared so you can avoid delays. WSDOT starts the first of a series of controlled rock blasts on I-90 near the east snowshed today and tomorrow. I-90 will be closed for up to an hour in both directions from Hyak to the Price Creek Sno-Park at approximately 7 p.m.

After crews blast, they will remove debris from the roadway and shoulders, inspect the slopes for stability and safety, and reopen all lanes of I-90.

I90 Spokane Valley- Liberty Lake Open House

How would you improve Interstate 90 in East Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake? That's what the Washington State Department of Transportation wants to know. They're asking for suggestions and providing an opportunity to learn about possible design options for the freeway between Barker Road and Harvard Road at an open house.

The open house is 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at Hope Lutheran Church, 17909 E. Broadway Ave. to present potential designs for this section of I-90. The options aim to help commuters and freight haulers get where they need to go more conveniently with added lanes and more efficient on- and off-ramp locations.

There is no formal presentation planned, so you can drop by anytime during the meeting. Engineering staff will be on hand to answer questions and take comments.

Freeway Lane Closures

Starting today, crews will set up long-term lane restrictions for scheduled bridge work on I-90 in Spokane, including:

• Eastbound I-90 will be reduced to one through lane at the Abbott Road Bridge at the top of the Sunset Hill.

• East and westbound I-90 will be reduced to two lanes at the Latah Creek Bridges near downtown Spokane.

• Drivers entering eastbound I-90 from US 195 need to use extra caution due to probable eastbound congestion.

• The eastbound US 2 to westbound I-90 ramp will be closed with a signed detour.

So here's what to expect: slow traffic, congestion, and delays. Allow for extra travel time in this five-mile section, especially when planning for appointments or airline travel and check out SpokaneRoadFix.net for updates.