New interchange coming to Highway 195 | News

A safety improvement project is underway in west Spokane. The Washington Department of Transportation is working on the new interchange at the intersection of Highway 195 and Cheney-Spokane Road.

Right now it's a dangerous stretch of road from the interchange with Interstate 90 south with a 55 mile an hour speed limit and drivers trying to cross four lanes of traffic.

In January of 2009, 16-year-old Lorissa Green was killed when she pulled out on to the highway from Cheney-Spokane Road and was broadsided by a pickup. Green's death spurred support for improving the intersection's safety and a temporary southbound off ramp was built to increase visibility for drivers pulling out onto the freeway.

The new project that is underway will not only remove the temporary off ramp but will give the intersection the look of a freeway.

"One of our goals is to remove the likelihood of collisions," said Chad Simonson of the Washington Department of Transportation.

The reduce the likelihood of collisions, crews will build on and off ramps for both north and sound bound lanes with an overpass.

Further to the north, the intersection of Highway 195 and Inland Empire Way will be removed and Inland Empire Way will become a culdesac.

Highway 195 is also a popular route with cyclists, with many riders heading south on Inland Empire Way and then crossing Highway 195 and heading south. The new project will add a bicycle lane from Inland Empire Way to the new overpass, increasing the safety for cyclists.

The project was expected to be completed in 2013, but a land use issue could push the completion date to 2014.