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A new rendition of the Barker Road Bridge – complete with convenient lanes for pedestrians and cyclists – should be ready by the time the winter freeze begins defrosting on the banks of the Spokane River.
The project, launched in July 2008, is scheduled for completion in late February or early March, according to Ken Knutson, senior engineer with the city of Spokane Valley.
“I’d say we’re about 75-percent done right now,” Knutson said.
The start of construction was delayed last June due to a slight adjustment involving the traffic detour. Initially, vehicles were going to rerouted through Liberty Lake on Harvard Road. Since work began, some 7,500 motorists a day take Sullivan Road instead of Barker to the north and south.
Outdoor enthusiasts are also dealing with a minor inconvenience related to installation of the bridge. A 1.5-mile portion of the Centennial Trail has been closed since last summer between Flora Road and the trail entrance on Barker.
“We knew that it would be close to a two-year project,” said Kaye Turner, executive director of the Friends of the Centennial Trail. “The detour is very well signed and people who use the trail have been very understanding.”
City officials held discussions with groups like the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club and Friends of the Centennial Trail to address concerns before work crews arrived. Turner, who applauded improvements made by Spokane County on a half-mile segment of the trail during a reconstruction effort along Upriver Drive in 2007, said the bridge upgrade will be worth the wait.
“It’s an inconvenience now, but overall, it will mean an improvement,” Turner said. “If you don’t repave rebuild bridges and repave roads, it’s going to be a safety issue.”
The $11.3 million overhaul of the bridge includes nearly $10 million in federal grant money and reimbursement of another $350,000 from local utility companies such as Avista and Consolidated Irrigation District. Spokane Valley will cover the remainder of the tab.
“I think it says a lot about the city’s ability to secure grants,” said Council Member Bill Gothmann, who serves on the state Transportation Improvement Board. “I think we’ve been very successful at that.”
The original Barker Bridge was built in 1952 as a two-lane, 36-foot wide concrete span. In December 2007, weight restrictions were announced on the bridge after an inspection showed that limits would be necessary to prevent further wear and tear before construction began.
The last version of the bridge included a price tag of $190,000. A pair of previous structures – the Greenacres Bridge built in 1894 and a steel span built by Spokane County in 1910 – preceded the 1952 overpass.
Steve Worley, senior engineer for Spokane Valley in charge of capital projects, said the decision to completely rebuild the bridge made more sense than a refurbishing approach.
“This new bridge is supported in a completely different way,” he said. “The piers went down on the old one.”
The new and improved Barker Bridge will feature four traffic lanes as well as bike paths and sidewalks on each side, doubling the overall width to 72 feet.
“It will be much more conducive for walkers and cyclists,” Knutson said.
Replacement of the bridge was included as part of Spokane Valley’s six-year Transportation Improvement Plan. When Morgen and Osgood Construction Co. out of Great Falls, Mont.. was awarded the construction bid last June, the project schedule was set at 400 working days. Knutson said some delay occurred last winter as a result of the heavy snow.
After the bridge girders were installed in late September, work began on the formation of the deck. Still ahead is a portion of street work that will match a section of Barker Road on the south to the renovated bridge. Knutson said that part of the schedule will be completed once local asphalt plants open in early spring.
The new bridge was included in a summary presented to the Spokane Valley City Council recently by Worley in which he described how 82 percent of the funding for capital projects since 2006 has come from outside sources. Overall, the city has expended $11.8 million for construction projects while grants have covered the remaining $67.1 million.
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By
Craig Howard
