Construction project coming to Spokane Street
DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 2 months AGO
The city of Post Falls will replace asphalt on Spokane Street and bring the BNSF Railway crossing up to current standards when it commences the Spokane Street Rehabilitation project between I-90 and the Spokane Street Bridge this summer. Pictured: Spokane Street looking north Tuesday morning from First Avenue.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
Post Falls Public Works project manager Jaxon Fleshman presents information about the Spokane Street Rehabilitation project Tuesday evening during the Post Falls City Council meeting.
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | March 9, 2023 1:08 AM
POST FALLS — New asphalt and updates to a railway crossing are the focus of the city of Post Falls' Spokane Street Rehabilitation project, expected to commence and be completed this summer.
City staff are in the preparation phase of the work, which will stretch from the eastbound Interstate 90 on/off ramp intersection to the Spokane Street Bridge.
Post Falls Public Works project manager Jaxon Fleshman shared images of that stretch of Spokane Street with the Post Falls City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday evening.
"It has seen better days," he said.
The total fiscal impact is $105,600, which includes a 10% contingency, to be paid through the city's Spokane Street Reconstruction project budget.
Welch Comer Engineers started design of the Spokane Street Rehabilitation project following approval from city council in February 2022.
Curbing, gutters and sidewalks were installed in that section of Spokane Street in 2014, however the asphalt is about 20 years old.
The city will partner with BNSF Railway to update the crossing and bring it up to current BNSF standards with concrete planking. The agreement is for the amount of $55,201.30. The costs of the improvements will be shared 50/50 between Post Falls and BNSF Railway. BNSF will provide all the labor and services required to update the crossing while Post Falls will just provide half the funding.
"A nice olive branch that we have established with BNSF," Fleshman said.
Post Falls City Council members unanimously voted to approve the authorization for construction phase services.
While this project will cause minor traffic disruptions, city staff and Welch Comer are aware of Idaho Transportation and Post Falls Highway District projects in the vicinity. Crews will coordinate timing and work activities to minimize impact to the traveling public.
"We recognize that it will be a big impact," Post Falls Projects Division manager Andrew Arbini said. "It is an arterial. It is a heavily used roadway."
The rehabilitation project will not widen Spokane Street. Planters and medians will not be removed.
"It will look much the same, but shiny asphalt," Arbini said.
Bidding of the Spokane Street Rehabilitation project will take place this spring, before construction begins.
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