Hatch Road bridge will reopen next week, ending long detour for South Hill motorists

Kip Hill, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·1 min read

Jul. 7—Those motorists who've had to take a circuitous route home on Hatch Road in recent months will get an early reprieve sometime next week.

The city had expected top open the Hatch Road bridge, closed since March 29 for a $1.9 million deck replacement project, for drive time on Thursday afternoon.

But "a section that needs further attention" has pushed the opening to an unspecified date next week, according to a city press release. The expected opening date is still two weeks ahead of the city's initial estimated reopening, the city said.

The reopening will prevent those trying to reach Hatch from the south from having to drive all the way to Interstate 90 and head back south along High Drive.

"We know this detour has been one of the most challenging because there aren't other nearby options," Kyle Twohig, the city's director of engineering services, said in a statement.

The reopened bridge will allow for a high volume of freight and commuter traffic, and the road will now include a right-turn lane for northbound traffic on U.S. 195.

Halme Construction, Inc., was awarded the bid for work on the bridge over Hangman Creek, which was first built in 1919 and improved in 1964. According to the city's most recent traffic count in 2018, roughly 10,500 motorists crossed the bridge each day.

The city did not provide an exact time for reopening. The project had been scheduled for completion at the end of the month.