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City to rebuild westbound Sprague, replace century-old water main; multiple paving and safety projects under way
Summary
City staff said the westbound lanes of Sprague Avenue will be fully rebuilt and the water main beneath them replaced after a request to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Staff also described a series of ongoing and planned paving, sidewalk, bike-lane and traffic-calming projects and short-term road closures.
City Public Works staff told the PIES Committee the westbound lanes of Sprague Avenue from Freya to Havana will be rebuilt and the water main under that reach, described as more than 100 years old, will be replaced after the Washington State Department of Transportation permitted a full rebuild rather than a preservation overlay.
"Bids came in pretty low," Public Works presenter Dan Boller said, and because deterioration on portions of Sprague had worsened since grant applications were made, the city asked DOT for permission to rebuild the westbound lanes; DOT agreed. Federal funds will pay the street-rebuild portion, and the water department will reallocate utility funds to pay for the main replacement, Boller said.
Public Works Director Marlene also gave a construction update listing several active projects: South Freya is closed from 13th to 21st for a water-main replacement that will continue through Halloween; crews are doing swale rehabilitation on South Lincoln Street with intermittent closures; Washington Avenue work is ongoing with an expected August completion; Assembly is closed from Rowan to Francis while a temporary signal and pedestrian assistance are in place at Francis and Assembly; Perry Street sewer work is complete; and Scott Elementary Safe Routes to School is finished.
Traffic-calming and bicycle/pedestrian projects were discussed in a separate briefing. Boller described two adaptive traffic-calming packages being bid through the Small Works roster that include delineators, striping changes, parking revisions, and several localized bump-outs and bike-lane separators. He said pedestrian hybrid beacons (HAWK signals) for four locations will be advertised within weeks, though construction will not likely occur until spring.
Why it matters: the combination of federal preservation funds and a DOT exception to allow a full rebuild enabled the city to address both pavement and a very old underground water main in a single mobilization, a more comprehensive and long-lasting repair than a grind-and-overlay would allow.
Discussion versus decision: staff described approvals already obtained (DOT permission for a full rebuild) and described upcoming procurement and construction schedules; no council ordinance or vote was recorded at the meeting. Several council members praised completed and ongoing improvements and asked staff to follow up on related items such as temporary speed-bump installations.
Timing: Crews expect the Freya water-main work to continue to Halloween; Washington work is expected to finish by August; HAWK signal procurement will be advertised soon with construction next spring; Sprague westbound rebuild and water-main replacement will proceed under the revised scope and funding plan.
