The $9.4 million project is the next phase of the Bigelow-Forker Urban Corridor. The interchange features a redesigned intersection where Bigelow Gulch and Forker Road meet. The work is scheduled for completion this fall (late September-early October). The county has already completed Phases 1 (Havana to near Palmer) and 3A (Bigelow/Argonne intersection).
During the groundbreaking ceremony,
County Commissioner Josh Kerns highlighted how the corridor will improve publicsafety and reduce the number of crashes on Bigelow Gulch. He was followed
by Commissioner Al French who listed the other transportation corridors thatthe project feeds into, the improvement to freight mobility, and the positive impact it will have on economic
development.
Project Background
Beginning in 1997, Spokane Countysaw daily traffic increasing on Bigelow
Gulch
and Forker Roads, especially truck and freight traffic. The combinationof traffic volume and truck traffic on a narrow, curvy roadway has led to a
high number of accidents, some of them fatal. To make BigelowGulch/Forker, safer, provide freight mobility,
and reduce traffic congestion, Spokane County proposed a phased plan to widenand improve the roadway and, when finished, complete the corridor from north
Spokane to the City of Spokane Valley. The project will straighten and widen both Bigelow Gulch Road and Forker Road to meet the objectives of improved safety, reduced traffic congestion, and support of state and regional freight mobility initiatives.
For more information, go to www.spokanecounty.org/2724/Bigelow-GulchForker-Rd-Urban-Connector. Spokane County Public Works received grant monies from U.S. Federal Highways, the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB), and the state's County Road Administration Board (CRAB).