The Spokane County Public Works Department (Spokane County) plans to replace the existing Ritchey Road Bridge spanning Deep Creek in western Spokane County, Washington. The existing Ritchey Road Bridge and its approaches will be replaced in its general footprint. The new bridge will be 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, and will include two 11-foot vehicle lanes and two 4.0-foot shoulders. Approaches on both the north and south ends of the bridge will also be reconstructed. To accommodate the new length, the bridge will be raised approximately 2.0 feet on each end. A temporary lay-down area will be located on the property directly south of the bridge.
Cultural resource survey of the Ritchey Road Bridge Replacement Project is intended to identify potential archaeological resources and potential historic properties prior to proposed construction. Pre-field research revealed no previously recorded cultural resources and two previously conducted cultural resource survey within 1.0 mile of the Project Area. The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s predictive model places the Project Area within an area of high risk for encountering cultural resources.
The fieldwork included inspection techniques to identify both surface and subsurface archaeological resources. No pre-contact or historic-era cultural material or features were observed during the pedestrian survey and subsurface investigations of the Project Area. The majority of the proposed undertaking is limited to an existing modern transportation infrastructure environment. Ritchey Road is shown on maps as early as 1905, and the original bridge was built in 1921. Road construction and maintenance have disturbed the portion of the Project Area. The majority of ground disturbing activities will involve fill and minor excavation in the current footprint of the bridge and its approaches. Shovel probes revealed that this area has been subject to fill. Plateau recommends the proposed undertaking will result in No Adverse Properties Affected, and no further archaeological investigations are recommended prior to or during execution of the Ritchey Road Bridge Reconstruction Project.
Location: Spokane County, Washington
