SPOKANE, Wash. — Construction crews started work to replace the bridge deck of the Hatch Road Bridge in South Spokane on Tuesday, meaning that commuters will have to find a new way to get from Highway 195 to the South Hill for at least four months.
Some drivers on Tuesday had to turn around at the closure near the end of Hatch Road as the bridge was closed for the first day.
"I was going to go to my daughter's [house] and now I have to reroute myself," said Georgia Krieger.
The bridge is going to be closed for at least four months. Heavy vehicles had reportedly been causing the bridge to shift as they drove over.
During the closure, drivers will have to use the on and off-ramps on I-90 to get to the South Hill from Highway 195. That includes buses that take kids to Spokane Public Schools on the South Hill.
"We are going to have to be rerouted, which will take a lot longer around downtown and up the area to get up to Mullan Road [Elementary], which is where they're going to school," said Kristi Plaster, who has kids in the SPS school district.
SPS told KREM on Monday that 18 routes carrying about 750 students had to be modified due to the bridge closure. Those routes go to Lewis and Clark High School, Sacajawea Middle School, Mullan Road and Roosevelt Elementary Schools, and the Libby Center. The changes mean an earlier start for some students.
"It's about a 30 to 40 minute difference. So, for a kid that's five years old in kindergarten, that's a big deal when it comes to them already being tired as it is in kindergarten," Casey Groh, a parent with kids in SPS schools, said.
Parents have said that the district shared information about the changes in the weeks before today's closure. But when it comes to Durham Bus Services - who actually operate the buses - parents have been frustrated.
"Everything ... from the school district is great, but from Durham, most of the communication was pretty last minute. So, that part was difficult for planning purposes, to find out three days before you know the week that it happens. Makes it difficult on parents," Groh said.
SPS said all students that took the bus before the closure will still be able to on the new routes. The City of Spokane has said construction won't be done until at least the end of July or early August.