Good news for Spokane Valley drivers! Funding has been finalized to replace the aging
southbound Sullivan Road Bridge across the Spokane River. The bridge is
the westernmost of the two that cross the river at that location.
Funding for the $15,349,000
needed to replace the bridge includes:
- $8,000,000 – Federal Bridge Program
- $1,529,000 – Washington State Freight Mobility
Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) - $3,500,000 – Washington State Transportation
Improvement Board, as well as a commitment of up to $500,000 in
contingency funding, and - $2,320,000 – City of Spokane Valley.
Replacement of the 62-year-old
bridge became a priority when an inspection in 2009 rated it as “Structurally Deficient” due to cracking in the girders and
deterioration of the concrete driving surface. Weight restrictions were
posted in June of 2011 to prolong the bridge’s life and temporary repairs made in 2012, allowing the bridge to stay open without weight restrictions until it
can be replaced.
The bridge is a part of a key
transportation corridor in the city of Spokane Valley, carrying about 26,000
vehicles each day, including semi trucks traveling to and from the
industrial area north of the bridge. In addition to carrying traffic
across the Spokane River, the bridge links the industrial area with I-90 as
well as the commercial areas located north and south of the freeway.
The bridge replacement project is expected to go out
for bid in January of 2014, with construction likely to begin sometime in
2014.