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Ken Knutson understands that replacing a bridge can be an inconvenience.
A senior engineer with the city of Spokane Valley, Knutson is overseeing the installation of a new bridge at Barker Road, an $11.3 million project that is slated for completion sometime in the winter of 2009-2010.
During the 18-month timeline, Knutson will field questions from motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and jaywalkers impacted by construction along the banks of the Spokane River. The rerouting of traffic means approximately 7,500 vehicles a day will take Sullivan Road instead of Barker to the north and south.
In addition, a portion of the Centennial Trail will be closed with the pathway being modified to run along Montgomery Avenue and Riverway Street. City officials have held discussions with groups like the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club and Friends of the Centennial Trail to work through issues that affect trail use during construction.
“It’s an inconvenience now, but overall, it will mean an improvement,” said Kaye Turner, executive director of Friends of the Centennial Trail. “If you don’t rebuild bridges and repave roads, it’s going to be a safety issue.”
Turner pointed to a half-mile portion of the trail along Upriver Drive that benefited from a reconstruction project facilitated by Spokane County last year.
Work on the Barker Bridge began July 7 after originally being scheduled to start June 30. A slight adjustment to the detour – there had been talk initially to send traffic through Liberty Lake on Harvard Road – accounted for the delay.
Knutson said that other than adding a few more directional signs this week, the transition has been smooth.
“So far, we haven’t seen any traffic problems on Sullivan,” said Knutson.
The latest rendition of the Barker Road Bridge dates back to 1952. That concrete structure – at a cost of $190,000 – was built alongside a steel span constructed by Spokane County in 1910. After the concrete overpass was completed, the steel bridge was torn down. The first structure to cross the Spokane River at Barker Road was built in 1894 and called the Greenacres Bridge.
In December 2007, the city of Spokane issued weight restrictions for the Barker Road Bridge following an inspection that determined the limits were necessary to prevent further deterioration of the bridge before construction began. Replacement of the bridge was included as part of Spokane Valley’s six-year Transportation Improvement Plan.
Neil Kersten, Spokane Valley Public Works director, said the Barker Bridge replacement ranks near the top of capital facilities projects within the city since incorporation in 2003, right there with the construction of CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point, the city’s $10 million multipurpose civic center which opened in September 2005. The $11.2 million budget for the bridge includes nearly $10 million in federal funds and another $350,000 being reimbursed by local utility companies. The city will pick up the remainder of the cost.
By the time the bridge is finished, the width of the span will double from 36 feet to around 72 feet and go from two lanes to four lanes of traffic. A 5-foot wide bike lane and 6-foot-wide sidewalk will be included on both sides of the bridge as well as an 8-foot wide parking area located parallel to the northbound lane.
Kersten said the pedestrian upgrades are included in a list federal requirements and reflect an increased emphasis on adding bike lanes and sidewalks when road improvements go in. Just to the south of Barker Road, a $6 million renovation of Appleway Road includes a 10-foot wide bike and pedestrian path that will connect to Liberty Lake’s trail system and the Centennial Trail.
As for the expansion of the bridge, Kersten said the adjusted design takes into account future development in the area.
“We look at projected traffic flow over the next 50 years,” he said.
Morgen and Oswood Construction Co. Inc. out of Great Falls, Mont., was awarded the bid as the contractor on June 6. Knutson said the construction schedule has been set for 400 working days.
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By
Craig Howard
