SPOKANE, Wash. – The East Central community is weighing in on the North Spokane Corridor project in a series of ongoing local meetings. During the latest discussion, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) met with East Central residents to share updates and gather input.
Ayden Franklin, a Spokane native, has been following the corridor project since childhood. Franklin reflected on these early memories, “I’ve followed the north Spokane corridor project since I was 5 years old.” Recalling the beginnings of the freeway, Ayden added, “I remember my dad in our little Honda Civic going northbound, they hadn’t even finished the southbound yet, and I couldn’t comprehend what this freeway was.”
The meeting, hosted by principal community transportation planner Shauna Harshman alongside WSDOT’s assistant project engineer Robyn Lashbrook, highlighted the importance of community participation in such projects. “To me that’s the heart of the project to be honest with you,” said Harshman. Lashbrook emphasized, “We can do all the math and make sure that it’s gonna fit in the area, we can make sure that it operates the way it’s supposed to, but the community are the people that’s gonna see it every day, live near it every day, and so we really want their input on what they want to see as well.”
Construction of the final segments of the 10.5-mile freeway is scheduled to begin in March 2026 and continue through December 2030. Lashbrook expressed excitement about the future conveniences the project will offer, noting, “The fact that right now you have to get on Division and it takes 45 minutes to get from Wandermere to downtown, where we’re gonna have that freeway where people who live up north are gonna be able to get downtown so much faster.”
An update during the meeting revealed that 7 miles of the project are completed. The remaining 3 miles will be funded through the “Connecting Washington” package, passed by the legislature in 2015.
Community members expressed optimism about the steady progress. Franklin shared, “I’m glad it’s no longer forgotten.”
The North Spokane Corridor project is now 70% complete, and the community is eager to see ongoing advancements.
For more information on the North Spokane Corridor, you can visit US 395 – NSC I-90 Connection | WSDOT (wa.gov)
