Full construction of the roundabout on U.S. Highway 2 will take place soon. Commuters should expect delays.
Construction is picking up in Airway Heights as the roundabout near the new Spokane Tribe Casino is being put in.
Construction started on Aug. 9 with some major work starting on Aug. 14.
Right now, drivers will notice that near the future casino, shoulders are closed and cones line the highway awaiting more construction.
On Aug. 17, Mike Tedesco, Spokane Tribe planning and economic development director, said in an email, "Likely within about 10 business days, full construction of the roundabout will commence on Highway 2. The bulk of construction will take a little over a month with clean-up work extending into mid-October."
At the end of the project, the roundabout will be four lanes and will reduce the current speed limit of 55 mph to 35.
The results of an analysis done by the Tribe indicated that a roundabout would be the best strategy to safely handle the increased traffic at the entrance to the new casino. WSDOT's traffic engineers are in agreement with the study's conclusions
"Traffic will be re-routed onto a by-pass that will cause slow-downs during construction," Tedesco added. "The planned by-pass, however, is the most efficient means to keep traffic moving during construction. We're coordinating closely with Washington State DOT, City of Airway Heights, and Fairchild throughout the entire process."
The roundabout project will be fully funded by the Spokane Tribe.
Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)