North Spokane Corridor: Last Section of Design is Finally Approved
Can it really be true that after 76 years the North Spokane Corridor is almost complete?
History of the North Spokane Corridor Project
I grew up living in the Spokane Valley in the 1970-1980s and even then people were discussing how to build a freeway traveling north from I-90 in Spokane. Anyone that has tried to travel from downtown Spokane to the Northside knows just how badly the North Spokane Corridor is needed. The city has been trying to solve this problem since 1946 and now the final step has been approved.
2001: The North Spokane Corridor Construction Starts
After years of discussion and final planning, construction on the North Spokane Corridor started in 2001 at Hawthorne Road to Farwell Road. Since then, sections of the North Spokane Corridor have slowly been built north along Wellesley Avenue. Potential designs for sections of the corridor were studied by the Washington State Department of Transportation, which then seek public feedback as it was being built. To be completed, the final section of the North Spokane Corridor had two different designs the local community and its leaders had to decide between.
Last Section of North Spokane Corridor Approved
The final design was approved after getting consensus from WSDOT engineers, looking at survey results, and listening to public comments that took months. Alternative 1 included a "smaller infrastructure footprint with greater potential for placing pedestrian bridges and future development of any surplus lands". The plan for Alternative 2 included a shorter commute time with a higher speed limit but "included a larger infrastructure footprint and less potential for placing pedestrian bridges and future development of surplus lands". In the end, Alternative 1 was chosen.
When will North Spokane Corridor Be Completed?
Even though the final piece of the corridor has been approved, there are still years of planning and proposals ahead. After the usual design-build process, construction of the last section is expected to begin spring of 2026 and be completed in late 2030. Construction of 5.5 miles of the North Spokane Corridor is already complete with most projects starting north and working towards I-90. WSDOT says that over the next few years, 2 bridge structures will be built for the project to carry the northbound and southbound lanes of the corridor. Once construction is finally finished, the North Spokane Corridor will be 10.5 miles long and breathe life into an area that has been congested with traffic for way too long.
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