The U.S. 395 North Spokane Corridor (NSC) is a 16.9 kilometers long highway under construction. It has 8.72 km currently complete and operational, running north and south in the eastern border of Spokane, Washington and some areas of Spokane County in the north.
The development is under control of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and are aiming to deliver a freeway with a 60 mph (97 km/h) speed limit on the new alignment connecting Interstate 90 (I-90), to the north of existing US Route 395, 16.9km in the Wandermere area. After completion, the multi-modal freeway is aimed for a general travel lanes, with right-of-way kept for the future huge-capacity transit system containing park-and-ride lots. Furthermore, a bicycle and pedestrian trail will run through the whole highway alignment. The freeway is ranked 19 from the 43 listed on the Congressional High Priority Corridor in the National Highway System. The fully constructed corridor is designed to carry over 150,000 vehicles on daily basis.
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The North Spokane Corridor, a section of Washington’s state highway system will fully adopt the US 395 designation when completed. The WSDOT currently reckons the corridor as a spur of US 395 and considers the roadway as “Future US 395” on its official state roadway guide and highway maps signs.
The complete route of the scheme runs from I-90, Downtown Spokane on the east, northward about 16.9 km, connecting the previous US 395 at Wandermere, in the north of Spokane. The northern part of the corridor was built as a seamless joint to the existing US 395, diverting the existing route to the North Spokane Corridor.
Timeline
1997
The NSC Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was passed in April by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In September 2000, a supplemental FEIS for the Spokane River north to US 395 at Wandermere section was endorsed .
2001
In August, the North Spokane Corridor commenced with the first development scheme dubbed “Hawthorne Road to US 2 – Grading”. The project was for grading and drainage which completed in July 2002.
2003
The State Nickel Gas Tax Package granted $321 million to support the scheme between 2003 and 2011; thie allocation offered funds for the right-of-way purchases, design and development of the Francis to Farwell and the US 2 Wandermere & US 2 Lowering schemes.
2005
The State 9.5 cent, Transportation Partnership Act (TPA) gas tax disbursed $152 million for project development between 2007 and 2019. The money helped for right-of-way acquisitions north and south in the I-90, from the Liberty Park Interchange to the Sprague Avenue Interchange.
2009
An additional $28 million was disbursed by the Washington State Legislature in TPA funds for the freeway. WSDOT used the funds for the scheme development in the Hillyard area, between the Spokane River and the Francis/Freya Interchange.On August 22, the first Nickel scheme, Francis to Farwell was opened for commuters.
2012
The 5 1/2 mile north half of the NSC was fully completed and opened for commuters. The first project for the south half, the Francis Avenue Bridge revamping commenced in late 2012 and was complete in June 2014.
2019
Groundbreaking of 2nd BNSF Railroad realignment scheme.
2020
Columbia to Freya construction was completed in August.
2021
Construction between Spokane River to Columbia was started in May followed by the Wellesley Ave. Improvements, Children of the Sun Trail and Sprague Ave. to Spokane River Phase 1.
