Date:  Thursday, May 13, 2010

Contact: Al Gilson, Communications Manager
WSDOT Eastern Region
2714 N. Mayfair
Spokane, WA  99207
(509) 324-6015
gilsona@wsdot.wa.gov

The North Spokane Corridor/Francis Avenue to Farwell Road-Southbound Lanes project will be re-advertised for construction bids in early June. The Federal Highway Administration has concurred with the Washington State Department of Transportation to re-advertise based on ambiguity in the contract documents.

Some of the contract requirements were interpreted differently by contractors, especially the “Buy American Certification.” Therefore, all four contractor bids received on the project have been rejected.

This project is funded through the Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. It is the first TIGER project in the nation to open bids. Just $1.5 billion was made available under this program with over 1,400 projects totaling over $50 billion submitted from all 50 states. The NSC work was submitted along with two other projects in Washington State in a national competitive process for funding. The TIGER grant is a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Construction is still expected to start in summer 2010 with completion in late 2011 or possibly early 2012. This work is expected to support more than 100 jobs during construction.

The project, US 395-NSC/Francis Avenue to Farwell Road-Southbound Lanes, adds three lanes, creating a fully divided freeway, in this 3.7 mile segment. Traffic is already flowing on the completed northbound side of this portion of the NSC with one lane in each direction. Along with the added lanes, the new project will construct new bridges to carry southbound traffic over local roads.

Environmental studies for the North Spokane Corridor began in 1991 and were approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 1997, clearing the way for design and construction to begin. Construction started in 2001 with the first grading contract. A series of eight large building contracts began in 2004 with the last two still underway.

When this job and the two-mile segment that is now under construction from Farwell to Wandermere, are coupled with the already completed northbound Francis to Farwell segment, over half of the 10-mile North Spokane Corridor will be operational.

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