SPOKANE, Wash. – A strike by the IUOE Local 302 union is now impacting three Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) projects in eastern Washington.
WSDOT says it’s aware of the strike and confirms work has been suspended on the North Spokane Corridor Spokane River Crossing, paving projects near Pullman on US 195, and in Chewelah on US 395.
The northbound lanes of the Greene Street Bridge and one southbound lane are closed indefinitely due to an ongoing strike, according to the WSDOT.
WSDOT said there are holes in the bridge and there’s no way to reopen it while the strike continues. The agency said it does not know how long the strike will affect the closure.
WSDOT says none of its other projects are affected at this time.
Spokane County road projects are in good shape for the next two weeks, according to Communications Manager Marth Lou Wheatley-Billeter. In case negotiations take longer to resolve, Public Works will be developing plans to keep the projects on schedule.
Spokane Public Works sent a statement on the strike:
“We are monitoring the situation and assessing current projects. The industry strike is impacting the availability of asphalt, which in turn affects grind and overlay projects performed by the City’s Street Department, as well as other projects that will soon be ready for laying asphalt. We will make adjustments to schedules and closures as necessary, and notify the public through the media and on our social media accounts.”
The Idaho Transportation Department wrote in an e-mail:
“We are aware of the operator labor strike in eastern Washington and are assessing potential impacts to Idaho Transportation Department projects in North Idaho. Projects that involve operator work—such as the SH-53 Pleasant View Interchange, I-90/SH-41 Interchange, I-90 expansion project, and the I-90 Coeur d’Alene River Bridges—are most likely to experience delays if the work stoppage continues.It is too early to determine the exact scope or duration of those impacts, but our project teams are in close contact with contractors to evaluate schedules and explore mitigation options.”
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