Spokane Valley Wins $20.835 Million Grant for Sullivan-Trent Interchange Project

Spokane Valley has received a $20,835,419 federal grant for the Sullivan Road and Trent Avenue interchange project, advancing a planned bridge and interchange replacement while leaving part of the funding package unfinished.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s FY 2026 BUILD awards page was updated July 7, 2026, and the city announced the award that same day. The exact award amount was reported in a July 7 announcement from Rep. Michael Baumgartner.

Funding is not complete

The city said the project has $41.1 million secured toward an estimated $50.7 million total cost. Spokane Valley has also applied for an additional $7.5 million grant from Washington’s Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board. That request remains pending and should not be treated as an approved award.

Because the full funding package is not secured, the city has not announced a construction schedule. The city’s project page lists construction as unfunded and says the construction timeline depends on funding. Engineering, environmental and right-of-way work are scheduled to conclude in 2026 under the current project plan.

What the project would change

The planned work would replace both Sullivan Road bridges: the bridge over the BNSF Railway tracks and the bridge over four lanes of Trent Avenue, also known as State Route 290. The existing signalized diamond interchange would be replaced with two roundabouts—one on Sullivan Road and one on SR 290.

The project also includes a shared-use path along Sullivan Road’s west side and a new, wider sidewalk on the east side. The current city project page says the selected final configuration resulted from design work and a 2025 value-engineering review involving the city, WSDOT, BNSF Railway, regional stakeholders, nearby industries and the public.

Why the corridor matters

The city says the Sullivan Road corridor between Interstate 90 and Trent Avenue supports about 9,000 jobs, 85% of which are directly related to freight. The city also reports that commuter and freight traffic can produce backups reaching a half-mile and that rush-hour traffic operations receive a Level of Service “F” rating.

The city says the Sullivan Road bridge over Trent Avenue was built in 1960 and is rated at the lowest level in WSDOT’s current bridge-rating system. A low or poor bridge rating does not by itself mean the bridge is unsafe for travelers. The project is intended to address aging infrastructure, the bridge’s low clearance over Trent Avenue and recurring congestion in the interchange area.

The Spokesman-Review reported that the bridge has been described as structurally deficient, in poor condition and vulnerable to clearance-related strikes. The newspaper also reported that the city has funding for design and right-of-way acquisitions but still needs construction-phase funding.

What residents and businesses should expect

If completed, the project is intended to improve movement for freight operators, commuters, nearby businesses, pedestrians and bicyclists along Sullivan Road and Trent Avenue. Wider sidewalks and a shared-use path would provide more space for people walking and bicycling, while the redesigned interchange is expected to improve traffic operations.

Those are projected benefits, not completed results. Residents should not expect a confirmed construction start date or construction-related traffic changes from the federal award alone.

The BUILD award advances Spokane Valley’s Sullivan-Trent project, but construction still depends on securing the remaining funds and finalizing the schedule.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Transportation FY 2026 BUILD awarded-projects record
• City of Spokane Valley grant announcement
• The Spokesman-Review report