Crews wrap up 195 paving project

Repaving of Highway 195 from the Idaho state line to Colton is now complete after almost two months of traffic delays to put a new layer of asphalt on the surface of the highway.

Crews May 17 began the first phase, a 10-day project to restructure 195 through Colton and Uniontown.

The second phase of the construction focused on resurfacing the highway between Colton to Uniontown and then from Uniontown south to the Idaho/Washington border.

The DOT predicted, accurately, the project would take two months to complete.

Main goal for Uniontown, said DOT spokesman Al Gilson of Spokane, was to stabilize the base of the highway and eliminate the existing patchwork of potholes and prevent more.

Work on the rest of the highway was a lighter resurfacing, which involves ripping off the top layer of asphalt and replacing it.

Poe Asphalt of Pullman won the bid for the $2 million total project. The DOT is paying for the project from leftover federal stimulus dollars granted to the Spokane DOT district from the federal government.

Gilson said the project was maintenance made possible because of the boost of stimulus dollars.