Valley Gets 21 Million for Road Work

The city of Spokane Valley has been awarded a $20.8 million federal grant to reconstruct the traffic-jammed interchange at Sullivan Road and Trent Avenue. The Sullivan Road and Trent Avenue interchange project aims to rebuild the Sullivan Road bridge that crosses over four lanes of Trent Avenue and the BNSF Railway tracks, says Jill Smith, communications manager for the city of Spokane Valley.

Plans also include replacing the existing traffic lights with two roundabouts: one at Sullivan Road north of Trent Avenue, and the other on Trent Avenue west of Sullivan Road. A shared-use path will be installed along the west side of Sullivan Road, and a new, wider sidewalk will be built on the east side encouraging multimodal options, Smith says.

Smith notes that the improvements will make the area safer. They will help move traffic for everyday travelers and really have an impact on freight and the companies that depend on it. The city has so far secured $41.1 million of the $50.7 million project budget.

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The $20.8 million grant is an award from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development program, which provides grants for surface infrastructure projects with significant or regional impact. The city is also seeking a $7.5 million grant from the Washington State Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board; a decision that will be determined at the next legislative session, Smith says.

The existing Sullivan Road and Trent Avenue interchange sits at the crossroads of a major employment corridor, yet at rush hour, it’s backed up with traffic. The junction needs updates that are both up to code and that will allow vehicle and freight traffic to flow more freely, Smith says.

Along Sullivan Road between Interstate 90 and Trent Avenue are an estimated 9,000 jobs, a majority of which are directly related to freight. During peak times, vehicle traffic can stretch up to a half-mile long, she says. The Sullivan Road bridge has been the site of multiple car accidents in the past several years due to the low height of the overpass.

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Built in 1960, the Sullivan Road bridge is 15 1/2 feet, compared to the 16 1/2 feet required for bridges and 23 1/2 feet for crossings over railroad tracks, Smith says.

While the project awaits funding decisions to reach its total budget goal, the city has commissioned preliminary 30% design of the project, completed by the Spokane office of Seattle-based engineering firm KPFF Inc. The city is expecting to complete design work by the end of next summer and put the project out to bid for contractors at the end of 2027, at which point a final construction schedule will be finalized, Smith says.

In September, the city will also begin purchasing strips of land along the interchange that will be used to widen the lanes along Sullivan Road and Trent Avenue, she adds.