Stretch of Wellesley Ave. to close for 3 years starting summer 2019
SPOKANE, Wash. — Starting this summer, a small stretch of Wellesley Ave. in Hillyard will close for three years while the Dept. of Transportation works to construct the North Spokane Corridor.
The closure will impact the area between Market St. and Freya St. in northeast Spokane. The newly constructed Wellesley Ave. interchange is expected to open at the end of 2022.
The extensive work to complete the North Spokane Corridor, which has been ongoing since 2001, will continue for the next several years.
When fully complete, the freeway will be a 60-mile per hour, 10.5 mile-long north/south road connecting to I-90 on the south end (just west of the existing Thor/Freya Interchange) and US 2 (at Farwell Road) and US 395 (at Wandermere) on the north end.
Interchanges along the corridor will be located at Trent Avenue (SR 290), Wellesley Avenue, Francis/Freya Street, Parksmith Drive, US 2, and US 395 at Wandermere.
The total cost to complete the North Spokane Corridor to I-90 is approximately $879 million.
The goal is to decrease travel time, fuel usage, and congestion, while improving safety on local arterials. According to the DOT, travel time between Wandermere and I-90 will be shortened by about 12 minutes, and the north/south freeway will lead to fewer trucks on arterials.
For more information on the background, current status, and future plans for the North Spokane Corridor, check here.
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