Spokane County presses state for transportation funding to improve Fairchild access and South Hill corridors

Spokane County staff on Dec. 10 outlined three transportation projects they said require state or federal action and local matching funds: Thorpe Road (a dogleg to open a second gate to Fairchild Air Force Base), the Glen Rose Corridor and improvements at Argonne/Upriver Drive.

Jeff McMorris, county staff, said Thorpe Road would create a North-South connection from I-90 to Highway 2 and "would actually be opening a second gate" at Fairchild. He said prior congressional earmarks totaling about $8.5 million have helped but additional federal and state funds are needed and that typical federal grants require 20–25% local matching, which could mean $2–4 million in county matches for certain phases.

McMorris described Glen Rose as primarily in the 9th legislative district and recommended phasing the project's $24 million project total into smaller annual state requests to clarify the county's ask. For Argonne/Upriver Drive, staff called the intersection among the region's most congested and said the full fix is a multi-phase effort; McMorris presented a large all-in figure for phased work but recommended beginning with first-phase requests.

Legislators and county officials emphasized phasing and clearer scope statements so the legislature can consider smaller, fundable tranches rather than a single large dollar ask.

Next steps: county staff said they will refine phasing and matching requests and return to legislators with clearer year-by-year asks before the session.