SPOKANE, Wash. — In a wonderful Friday surprise, Bigelow Gulch Road reopened after months of closure and delays.
Bigelow Gulch was closed in spring for a months-long construction project at Forker Road. Over the summer, construction crews blasted rock to allow for drainage, surfaced the road using a cement base with crushed rock and hot mix asphalt, and installed new lights, guardrails, signage and striping.
The project also included creating a new interchange and getting rid of the ‘S’ curve in the road.
The cost of the project was an estimated $82 million.
The extensive nature of the construction is what Spokane County Commissioner Josh Kerns said made the timeline so long.
“When you look at the sheer length of it, the number of miles, the terrain that we had to go through to create this, this wasn’t a flat, easy road to construct,” he said.
Kerns said the new and improved road will address safety concerns and more directly connect Spokane and the Valley.
“It is just going to be a major asset, and going to improve safety concerns that have existed there for far too long and improve the freight corridor connecting with the Valley’s industrial park,” he said.
The road was initially supposed to be back open October 15 but that was delayed due to issue with procuring guardrails.
The updated opening date was October 31, but drivers found out they were able to hit the road a week early.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for Tuesday, October 29.
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