SPOKANE — Construction on the Greene Street Bridge has hit another setback, pushing the project timeline further into the summer as city crews work to address structural complications discovered during the work.
The bridge project was supposed to be completed by June 26, but encountered unexpected problems with the rebar during construction. City officials discovered they needed to replace 400 pieces of rebar on the southbound portion of the bridge. The delay means people are unable to access businesses on that street.
The city has revised its construction plan moving forward. Currently, the city is finishing work on southbound Greene Street. Once that work is complete, city officials will begin work on the Freya Way and Freya Street railroad overpass. After that, work on the northbound part of the bridge will begin. Simultaneously, the city will work on the Havana Street railroad overpass bridge seal work maintenance project.
The delay has created significant challenges for businesses in the area. Blissful Blends, located near the construction zone, has seen sales cut by about 25% since work began.
“It has been tough, we have had people completely avoid it literally, because they don’t want to deal with traffic,” said Mekelle, a barista at Blissful Coffee Shop. “There’s no traffic coming this way so people just avoid it completely which has totally killed business.”
The loss of foot traffic has forced the business to absorb the financial impact while waiting for construction to conclude. City officials acknowledge the importance of maintaining access to the area during construction.
“We know that it’s an important corridor for us to keep as functional as possible,” said Kirstin Davis, Spokane’s public works communications manager.
The city says they are doing what they can to keep the surrounding area accessible during the construction season. City officials now estimate the southbound portion of the Greene Street Bridge will be completed by August.
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