SPOKANE, Wash. – It’s the beginning of construction season here in Spokane, and if you have ever wondered why you never see anyone working at the construction project that affects your daily commute, you are not alone.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Eastern region, there are a lot of reasons why that may be.
Anytime there is an overpass and they are doing overhead work they won’t have any workers underneath for safety reasons. You might not see them but they could still be working.
Sometimes temperatures are too hot to pave during the day. Asphalt has to cool so sometimes you need colder temps which can mean overnight hours.
Concrete also takes a significant amount of time to cure. They cannot have people on it as soon as it is poured because it could sink in or be unsafe, which has happened in this region in the past.
WSDOT East typically works on I-90 overnight because of the heavy traffic volumes.
Ryan Overton with WSDOT East says they do not take the decision to close down a road lightly.
“So often times you may not see people out there but there is a reason why it’s closed,” said Overton. “Whether it’s a safety reason or we’re trying to let something cure, have it cool off before it’s safe to be driven on because we want to provide a product that is going to last for years to come.”
Construction season is expected to continue until late October or early November, depending on weather.
