SR 904 open house planned

With a major repaving of State Route 904 through Cheney slated to begin in late June, state Department of Transportation officials hope to answer questions and allay residents concerns at a project open house on June 1. The open house will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Wren Pierson Community Center.

WSDOT's acting project manager, Tom Brasch, said in a May 22 interview the department had just executed a contract for the $1.62 million project last week with successful low bidder, Shamrock Construction. Details for the project stretching 3.2 miles from Betz Road in the north to Mullinix Road in the south have yet to be worked out.

"We haven't sat down and asked 'how are you attacking this?'" Brasch said.

Of concern is not only impacts to businesses along SR 904/First Street, but also any ramifications for the Cheney Rodeo, which takes place July 7-9 and includes the downtown Cheney parade July 8. Cheney Public Works Director Todd Ableman told the City Council at its May 9 meeting that the city had made WSDOT aware of important dates, including the rodeo.

Ableman added that project plans did not call for any detours onto side streets to avoid work areas, and could likely be done similar to a recent American with Disabilities Act (ADA) sidewalks and pedestrian ramps upgrade project just completed along the same stretch of SR 904.

"We have the width," Ableman said. "They can do it in lane shifts."

"They could do that, yes," Brasch acknowledged, adding traffic control plans for both projects were similar.

While mainline traffic through Cheney won't likely detour, traffic from side streets trying to turn onto First Street might have to be redirected several blocks in order to avoid the construction zone.

The work involves grinding of the current asphalt and resurfacing with new, hot mix asphalt. Brasch said in some sections this will be a curb-to-curb process, while in other sections with parking lanes and a center turn lane, it would just be the travel surface.

The work also includes replacing 10 sidewalk ramps, updating traffic signals, signing and pavement markings. Shamrock is scheduled to begin as early as June 19, but before that, Brasch said ADA electrical work at Cheney's signalize intersections needed to be done. The contractor on that portion of the job can start no sooner than June 19, and no later than June 26.

Brasch said they have advised Shamrock of the rodeo schedule, and that work would cease during that time.

"We didn't want any work on that Friday, Saturday or Sunday," he said. "That's what we told the contractor."

As for where Shamrock will begin, Brasch said that is also something yet to be worked out. He suspects it will begin at Betz Road since contractors prefer to "pave away" from the side the material is being transported from, which in this case would be Shamrock's asphalt plant located across from Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights.

Brasch said WSDOT officials are in the process of setting up a pre-construction meeting with Shamrock, which he hopes will take place later this week. Tenatively, the project is anticipated to take about eight weeks.

"We hope to have an OK idea (of project specifics) when we go to the open house," he added.

No formal presentation will be made at the June 1 meeting, but officials will be on hand to answer questions. The public is invited to drop by anytime between 6 – 8 p.m.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].