Pines Road / BNSF Grade Separation Project

Location

N. Pines Road (SR-27) and E. Trent Avenue (SR-290)

January/February 2025 Update 

Work in January will focus on the Trailhead area south of Trent Avenue. Crews plan to continue progressing work as much as possible through winter. 

Anticipated construction activities include:

  • Finishing pond along Empire Way
  • Excavation in Trailhead area south of Trent Avenue

Inclement weather may affect construction progress and the construction crew’s ability to proceed with work. 

We appreciate your continued patience as crews work to complete these improvements and enhance the safety and accessibility of city streets.


Background

On average, 65 BNSF Railway freight trains and two AMTRAK passenger trains travel through the Pines/BNSF Railway crossing each day, resulting in nearly 31,000 vehicle hours of delay each year. BNSF plans to add a second main track to the existing rail line, possibly as early as 2025. A second track will likely increase train traffic and vehicle delays. In addition, about 35,000 vehicles pass through the adjacent Pines/Trent intersection, including freight trucks from Canada and northern Idaho. There were 49 collisions in or near this intersection from 2017 to 2021. Pines Road is also the primary access to nearly 230 acres of nearby undeveloped mixed-use, commercial and industrial land in the area.

About the Project

The proposed improvements associated with the project will: 0223 OVERALL EXHIBIT

  • Save four hours per day of vehicle wait time (based on gate downtime) at the Pines/BNSF crossing, improving traffic flow and the movement of workers and goods
  • Improve access to I-90 and key arterials in Spokane Valley
  • Enhance access to 226 acres of mixed-use, commercial or industrial zoned property and improve freight mobility
  • Eliminate the BNSF at-grade railroad crossing on Pines Road
  • Improve fire, police and ambulance response and reliability
  • Increase safety by eliminating the risk of train/vehicle, train/school bus and train/pedestrian collisions at the railway crossing
  • Improve access to Trent Elementary and the neighborhoods to the north
  • Add sidewalks and shared-use paths for the safety of pedestrians, schoolchildren and bicyclists
  • Make adjacent neighborhoods quieter by eliminating the need for train horns at the crossing

The project includes the construction of a new trailhead for the Centennial Trail and associated parking lot, equipped with restrooms, electric vehicle charging and non-motorized access to the trail and Spokane River.

The trailhead will be located in three parcels donated by Avista Utilities, which are valued at approximately $800,000. The project is located in a USDOT-designated Historically Disadvantaged Community, which has a poverty rate of at least 20% as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Construction is tentatively planned to begin in winter 2025 with the off-roadway bridge construction and continue through 2026 with the roadway and trailhead construction.

Economic Benefits

Completion of the Pines/BNSF Grade Separation Project will improve access to nearly 170 acres of undeveloped mixed-use, commercial and industrial land and help attract new businesses and jobs to the Spokane Valley economy. A 2016 ECOnorthwest Economic Benefits Study identified that over 25 years, the projected economic and tax impacts will include:

  • $1.3 billion in total economic output in Spokane County ($686 million in direct spending)
  • 8,719 new jobs supported in Spokane County (4,312 direct job impacts)
  • $8.2 million in new general fund taxes to Spokane Valley (25 years at 4%)
  • $101.9 million in new general fund taxes to Washington State (25 years at 4%)

Project Cost and Funding

The project is estimated to cost nearly $48 million. Groundbreaking is tentatively planned for winter 2025. Funding raised at this time includes:

  • $21.7 million by Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
  • $5.3 million by Surface Transportation Block Grant 
  • $4.9 million by Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant
  • $5 million by Congressionally Directed Spending Appropriation
  • $5 million by Move Ahead Washington Grant (secured December 2022)
  • $1.2 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant
  • Avista Utilities land donation valued at nearly $800,000

Resources

Partners

  1. Avista Utilities (PDF)
  2. BNSF Railway (PDF)
  3. Washington State Department of Transportation (PDF)

Grant Applications

  1. BUILD grant application (2018) (PDF)
  2. BUILD Grant Application (2019) (PDF)
  3. BUILD Grant Application (2020) (PDF)
  4. CRISI Grant Application (2018) (PDF)
  5. FASTLANE II Grant Application - Pines-BNSF Project (FY 2017) (PDF)
  6. RAISE Grant Application (2021) (PDF)
  7. RAISE Grant Application (2022) (PDF)

Supporting Documents

  1. BTV - Local Agency Environmental Classification Summary (PDF)
  2. Consolidated Traffic and Safety Analysis (PDF)

Title VI Notice to Public

It is the policy of the City of Spokane Valley to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and related State and Federal Statutes, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally-funded programs and activities. Any person who believes his/her Title VI rights have been violated may file a complaint via email with the City's Title VI Administrator or call 509-720-5111. 

The City of Spokane Valley in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing John Whitehead or by calling 509-720-5111.