North Spokane Corridor

North Spokane Corridor
U.S. Route 395 North Spokane Corridor
The North Spokane Corridor highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by WSDOT
Length:	10.5 mi (16.9 km)
Major junctions
South end:	I-90 in Spokane
	SR 290 in Spokane US 2 in Spokane
North end:	US 395 in Spokane
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced State highways in Washington Interstate • US • State Former PSH • 1964 renumbering • Former SR ← SR 339 SR 397 →

The U.S. Route 395 North Spokane Corridor (NSC) is a $2.2 billion (2009 dollars) limited-access highway project in Spokane, Washington, that is designed to improve freight and commuter mobility through the Spokane Metropolitan Area. The project by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will construct a 60 mph (97 km/h) freeway along a new alignment starting at Interstate 90 (I-90), running northward 10.5 miles (16.9 km) toward the existing US Route 395 (US 395) just north of the Wandermere area. When completed, the multi-modal facility is expected to have general travel lanes, with right of way reserved for a future high capacity transit system with park and ride lots. Additionally, a pedestrian and bicycle trail will run along the entire highway alignment.^[1] The project is ranked 19 of 43 on the Congressional High Priority Corridor list of the National Highway System.^[2] When completed, the corridor is expected to carry over 150,000 vehicles per day.^[3]

History

Plans for a North Spokane Freeway date back to 1946. Earlier projects were cancelled due to other priorities and local opposition. The current project began construction in 2001.

Early plans

The idea of having a freeway run northward through Spokane was originally conceived in 1946 after the Spokane traffic survey that year. The city of Spokane needed some sort of a major north–south traffic facility to relieve congestion. After several reports and studies, the first plans for the freeway were released in 1956 with an estimated cost of just $13 million, however, those plans were quickly shelved in 1958 as the construction of the Interstate Highway System was prioritized over the construction of the north–south Freeway. As a result, cheaper alternatives, such as one-way paired couplets, were discussed.

In 1964, the Spokane Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (SMATS) was formed to fulfill requirements of Federal Highway Act of 1962, and in 1970, along with the Department of Highways, released the “Corridor Study for North Spokane and North Suburban Area Freeway”. It recommended a north–south freeway along Hamilton and Nevada streets (the corridor between Nevada and Helena). Though a full freeway interchange was built connecting Hamilton Street with I-90 (exit 282/282A, connecting to State Route 290, SR 290), residents successfully blocked any further construction through this area.

Current project

After 33 years of further discussions and proposals, the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the current version of the project was approved in April 1997. The first phase of the NSC finally broke ground in 2001 and the first ribbon cutting ceremony (for a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) segment of lanes between the Francis/Freya and Farwell interchanges) occurred on the eighth anniversary of the ground breaking, August 22, 2009. To reduce costs, the scope of construction was reduced in 2008, reducing the northmost portion from six lanes to four, eliminating an interchange, and constructing the freeway at ground level, rather than below. This reduced the cost of that portion from $720 million to $285 million, while still allowing for those improvements later.^[4]

Current progress

As of 2010^[update], work continues on the northern end of the corridor and includes construction of the US 2 and Wandermere/US 395 interchanges and lanes that will link them. Also, on the Spokane South Hill, construction has started for that end of the corridor. Groundbreaking began in June 2010 with the demolitions of various older houses and shops and such.

Impacts

The highway is expected to significantly improve traffic in the north end of Spokane. Most importantly, it will allow trucks to avoid the congested Division Street, which is the only north–south truck route through the city currently. By moving cars from congested streets to a freeway, WSDOT predicts that it will reduce emissions by 3.6% each year and save a million gallons of fuel a year. It will also reduce predicted traffic growth on I-90, as new residents move to the North Spokane area instead.^[5]

There are 62 known or suspected hazardous waste sites in the freeway's path.^[5]

The southern portion of the proposed freeway will require significant amount of homes and businesses to be demolished. A 1997 report by WSDOT noted that construction will required demolition of over 500 homes and 100 business, relocating over 1,000 residents.^[5] Many of these homes and business are in the poorest and most ethnically diverse neighborhoods.^[5]. WSDOT purchased many properties in Hillyard and other neighborhoods in 2002. Businesses have been allowed to remaining operating until construction actually begins. Ziggy's store will be closed in 2010 after 45 years in business because of the construction of the freeway.^[6] Homes and churches^[5] have also been relocated.^[7]

Based on past history with the construction of I-90, it is forecast that the North Spokane Corridor will cause significant land-use changes.^[8] I-90 caused significant growth in eastern suburbs that were once small towns, while many neighborhoods in the center of the city experienced poverty and decline. It is predicted that significant growth and development will occur near the interchanges of the new freeway while areas near connecting sections will be poor neighborhoods. Whether modern growth management laws will prevent sprawl in northern suburbs is far from certain.^[8] The environmental impact statement predicted more development in Pend Oreille County and Deer Park north of the city.^[5]

Route description

View of a graded section of the NSC at the north terminus of the project

It will run from I-90 just east of Downtown Spokane northward about 10.5 miles (16.9 km) and will meet the existing US 395 just north of Spokane at Wandermere. The North Spokane Corridor is planned to bypass the busy Division Street corridor. Construction has begun on the northern section between Wandermere and Francis. The new freeway will carry the US 395 designation, and run about one mile (1.6 km) east of where it was originally planned in the 1960s and 1970s.

While the new freeway would also be a good routing for US 2 to bypass Spokane, that highway is scheduled to stay on its current routing in order to keep Division Street in the state highway system. Nevertheless, it will be easy for motorists on US 2 to avoid this by using the freeway instead of Division Street. On the north side, a full interchange is being constructed at US 2 in the Mead area near Farwell Road. This route uses the entire North Spokane Corridor except the northernmost one mile (1.6 km) section between US 2 and Wandermere.

Future major intersections

The entire route is in Spokane, Spokane County.

Mile	Exit	Destinations	Notes
		I-90 / US 395 south	Southern terminus of the project
		SR 290 (Trent Avenue)
		Wellesley Avenue
		Francis Avenue Freya Street
		Parksmith Drive
		Farwell Raod
		US 2 (Newport Highway)
		US 395 north	Northern terminus of the project
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ Staff. "Multi Modal Facility". US 395—North Spokane Corridor. Washington State Department of Transportation. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US395/NorthSpokaneCorridor/MultiModal.htm. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
2. ^ Staff. "NSC Quick Facts". US 395—North Spokane Corridor. Washington State Department of Transportation. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US395/NorthSpokaneCorridor/Facts.htm. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
3. ^ What are the benefits?, http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6ABA0621-33AF-4350-B3C6-D0BFF4C5D21D/0/Benefits.pdf
4. ^ Roesler, Richard (November 25, 2008). "Plan slashes north-south freeway cost". The Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA). http://spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=17930. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Hansen, Dan (June 1, 1997). "North-south freeway to exact quite a toll". The Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA). http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/jun/01/north-south-freeway-exact-quite-toll/. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
6. ^ Dall, Tania (October 29, 2010). "Hillyard businesses clear out for North South Freeway". Spokane, WA: KXLY-TV. http://www.kxly.com/news/25447085/detail.html. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
7. ^ Wintermeyer, Jay. "New Name, Same Family". Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. http://www.uccsda.org/News/news08142010. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Grimes, William. "Learning from I-90: The North–South Freeway's Implication for Urban Form" (PDF). Studio Cascade Community Planning and Design. http://www.studiocascade.com/sc_documents/SS-I90.pdf. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 

External links

• WSDOT's US395 NSC Website