TIB Project Information

This project is Project 6 of the Bigelow Gulch/Forker Road Urban Connector project. It is designed to meet the community’s needs by improving safety, increasing east-west capacity, improving freight movement throughout the region, and improving traffic operations on the corridor. The overall project is approximately 8.2 miles in length it connects Spokane's northern industrial areas (accessed by Francis Avenue and Freya Street), represented by the Northeast Public Development Authority in the City of Spokane, to the Sullivan Industrial Park located along Sullivan Road in the City of Spokane Valley. The corridor is divided into 6 segmented projects for constructability, budgeting, and geographical reasons.

• This project will increase capacity and safety for road users, increase pedestrian and bicycle facilities through the provision of sidewalks, and improve freight movement efficiency. It is part of a multi-phase project that will transform the existing narrow, winding and steep two lane road into a four lane* corridor meeting current alignment and safety standards. The corridor is a heavily used truck route (T2) that carries between 4 and 10 million tons of freight annually. The proximity of the corridor in relation to communities located within the Rathdrum Prairie, Spokane County, City of Spokane Valley and City of Spokane provides the opportunity for a safer, less congested, faster travel time and increased level of service between urban areas. Two food distribution centers, large petroleum distribution centers, the Northeast Public Development Authority, and numerous industrial and commercial complexes are located at the west end of the corridor. At the east end of the corridor, the roadway serves as the extension of Sullivan Road providing a connection to I-90, and intersects with SR-290 and its extension into North Idaho as Idaho State Route 53. The east end has similar industrial/commercial complexes and provides access to significant railroad transloading facilities in the well-established and growing Spokane Industrial Park (SIP).