Maple Closes As Construction Progresses

SPOKANE — As spring transitions into summer, the construction season is fully underway and another major thoroughfare closed in Spokane Friday morning.

Work has been progressing on the Ash/Maple Street project since mid-April but, up until Friday, Maple had been unaffected. That changed Friday morning, though, as Maple has been blocked off from Boone to the Maple Street Bridge.

This ongoing project, the biggest of the season in Spokane at a $4.2 million price tag, will rehabilitate Maple and Ash, specifically around the intersections of Northwest Blvd. and Boone.

As crews sealed off part of Maple Street Friday, they re-opened a stretch of Ash. Ash is now traversable south of Northwest Blvd. and, by Wednesday, June 24th, the NW Blvd./Ash intersection should reopen as well. While Ash opens to drivers, though, more of Maple will be closed and, starting next week, Maple will be essentially inaccessible from NW Blvd. to the bridge.

Meanwhile, Northwest Blvd. remains reduced to one lane between Walnut and Oak.

While many drivers admit the roads needed repaved, the project has proven to be a headache for a variety of affected residents. Business owners in the areas have been hurt by the closures and commuters have been forced to maneuver around a handful of north side Spokane closures.

A handful of other construction projects are also underway. Wall Street remains closed between Wellesley and Francis, with the paving portion almost completed before crews install traffic islands, signs and put the finishing touches on the project over the next week.

Further east, a realignment project on Freya has hit a bit of a snag “due to utility conflicts and equipment back orders,” according to a City of Spokane release. The project aims to realign the Broadway connection on Freya, moving it one block south to Alki. Lane restrictions are in place in Freya for prep work and side streets in that area are closed.

For more information on these and the handful of other construction projects being undertaken in Spokane, visit iView
.