Drivers who travel through the work zone on Interstate 90 in Coeur d’Alene are advised to pay extra attention as traffic impacts are scheduled to change Saturday night (Sept. 15), depending on weather conditions.
Once eastbound lanes are completed, traffic will shift from the median to the newly paved lanes. Westbound traffic will then move to the median to allow crews to reconstruct the remaining lanes.
Two lanes will stay open in each direction. Traffic impacts will be similar to those from earlier this summer: through traffic should use the left lane, and drivers who need to exit must use the right lane. Westbound lanes will be divided near the 15th Street on ramp by concrete barrier, after which drivers will not be able to change lanes.
Westbound on- and off-ramps at Fourth Street will be closed for the next month, and the westbound off-ramp at US-95 will be closed next week.
This is the final major traffic shift planned for the project, which will lower the roadway by two feet and eliminate the need for over-height trucks to be detoured around bridges on the interstate.
Work on the interstate through town began in 2017. Last year, the interstate from Sherman Avenue to Ninth Street was completed, and by the end of October crews will finish reconstructing the interstate from Ninth Street to Northwest Boulevard.
Maintenance crews will resurface Northwest Boulevard on either side of the bridge over Interstate 90 in Coeur d’Alene next week.
Work is scheduled to take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sept. 10 and 11.
The north side of the bridge will be resurfaced the first night, during which the westbound on- and off-ramps will be closed. The south side of the bridge will be resurfaced next, and the eastbound on- and off-ramps will be closed then.
Detours will be posted both nights.
Next week travelers can expect nighttime lane closures on Interstate 90 near the Huetter rest area west of Coeur d’Alene.
Temporary lanes will be built in the median this fall to maintain traffic flow during bridge maintenance scheduled for next spring.
Work is expected to take place overnight Monday through Friday between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. until mid-October.
As part of this project, crews will also preserve surfaces of bridges in Post Falls this fall that pass over the interstate. Bridges include those at Idaho Street, McGuire Road, Seltice Way and Pointe Parkway. Sealing the surface of each bridge is expected to take approximately one week, and during that time, at least one lane of traffic will remain open.
For updates on the bridges, check with Post Falls Assistant City Engineer Rob Paulus at (208) 457-3331. Other traffic impacts on the state system may be found by visiting 511.
The Idaho Transportation Department advises drivers to plan ahead for traffic delays and detours in St. Maries on Idaho Highway 3 as crews advance to the next phase of bridge reconstruction.
Beginning as early as Tuesday, Sept. 4, crews will close the bridge over the railroad and reopen the adjacent bridge over the St. Joe River to one lane in each direction.
Temporary signs will be installed along the detour through town to enhance safety and traffic flow. Closures will continue on Meadowhurst Drive east of its intersection with ID-3 as well as Riverside Avenue where it runs underneath the highway between First Street and Fourth Street.
These traffic changes are part of the ongoing project to upgrade two bridges in St. Maries. This phase of work includes completing the east half of the river bridge deck and reconstructing the railroad bridge.
The railroad bridge is anticipated to be closed through December, and the overall project is scheduled to be complete by spring 2019.
Upon completion, both bridges will include one lane in each direction with a shoulder and sidewalk on each side. Work also includes reconstructing the highway to match the upgraded bridges, replacing guardrail and signs in several locations and improving the adjoining intersections.
Crews are working during daylight hours Monday through Saturday and Sundays as needed. Residents and businesses will continue to experience occasional noise, dust and vibration during that time.
Check 511 for traffic impacts or visit the “Projects” tab at itd.idaho.gov/d1 for more information.
Members of the public are also invited to contact the project team by calling the project hotline at 208-292-8515 or by emailing Gemma Puddy at gpuddy@langdongroupinc.com.
Starting Monday, August 27, crews will begin constructing turn lanes at the intersection of Idaho Highway 53 and Chase Road west of Rathdrum.
Work will last up to one month as crews add a right-turn lane and a center-turn lane at the intersection. Crews are expected to be on site during the day from Monday through Friday, with some weekend work allowed. Travelers should expect speed reductions in the area and intermittent single lane closures.
Highway traffic in both directions will be stopped completely only when crews are removing about a dozen trees, which is necessary to construct the new right-turn lane.
For the latest traffic updates, check 511.
With Labor Day right around the corner, parents and children are likely counting down the days to the end of summer, but they should consider a different number: 86.
That’s at least how many people have died on Idaho routes so far during what is called the 100 Deadliest Days, or the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when fatalities increase statewide ever year. Of those 86 fatalities, 10 were in the northern five counties.
Law enforcement provides safety data like this to the Idaho Transportation Department to help monitor highway conditions and plan for changes when possible. North of the Latah county border, ITD pays special attention to the following high-speed and congested areas: the intersections of Prairie Avenue and US-95, Prairie Avenue and ID-53, Prairie Avenue and ID-41, Hauser Lake Road and ID-53, and Ramsey Road and ID-53.
From adding turn lanes and to constructing new interchanges, ITD has plans to address safety concerns at these locations but wants drivers to exercise awareness and caution for the rest of this summer.
Engineers can design safer highways, and officers can patrol them, but what drivers do behind the wheel can affect their safety more than anything else on the road.
Be engaged, and drive well these last two weeks, Idaho.
Work to resurface five miles of US-95 between Cougar Creek and Mica Creek is scheduled to begin August 6 and last for two months.
During construction, at least one lane will remain open in each direction, and flaggers will guide traffic at major intersections.
As ITD resurfaces the highway near intersections, travelers can expect brief closures. Emergency access will be maintained.
Crews are expected to work during the day with some possible weekend shifts.
Safety improvements to US-95 near Plummer will begin this week, with work expected to be completed in October.
Two bridges over Moctileme Creek will be replaced, and US-95 at the intersection of Windfall Pass Road will be realigned.
During the initial phase of construction, two lanes will remain open as crews construct an additional lane to be used as the bridges are demolished and rebuilt, one half at a time.
Once the temporary lane is finished, crews will start removing part of the old bridges, and travelers should expect delays and alternating, one-way traffic through the work zone.
When crews are not on site, the highway will be open to two lanes.
A 2013 study previously identified the Windfall Pass Road area as the site of the most frequent and severe crashes in the northern five counties, and since then, ITD has been designing this project to make it easier for drivers to negotiate the curve and to access the intersecting road.
For the latest traffic impacts, check 511.
The Idaho Transportation Department will share plans to improve safety on US-95 north of Athol at an open house Tuesday, July 31 at the Athol Community Center.
Proposed safety improvements to US-95 near Granite Hill include:
– Construction of continuous frontage roads on both sides of the highway
– Realignment of the Trails End Road intersection
– Possible expansion of the highway to two lanes in both directions
Members of the public may stop by any time between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to learn more and to comment.
Those unable to attend the open house may also comment online between July 31 and August 14 by visiting itd.idaho.gov/d1, finding the “Projects” tab and selecting “US-95: Granite North Improvements.”
The Idaho Transportation Department invites members of the public to comment on proposed safety improvements to US-95 at the intersections of Idaho Highway 53 and Garwood Road by attending an open house.
The open house will be held Wednesday, August 1 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the district office in Coeur d’Alene.
“US-95 is a primary north-south corridor through a rapidly developing area,” ITD project manager Joey Sprague said. “ITD has been planning for how to address growth and safety needs along this corridor for more than a decade, and we are excited that funding is now available to construct these improvements.”
The proposed project will:
- Construct a new single-point urban interchange at US-95 and ID-53.
- Realign and widen the shoulders of ID-53 from Ramsey Road to intersect more directly with US-95.
- Replace the existing deficient ID-53 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).
- Provide an overpass at Garwood Road over US-95 and the UPRR (eliminate direct access to US-95 at Garwood Road).
- Extend Government Way as an east-side frontage road from ID-53 to the intersection of Garwood and Pope Roads.
- Construct a roundabout at ID-53 and Government Way.
- Extend pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
This project will improve safety while also planning for future growth and mobility in the area. Additionally, eliminating traffic signals on US-95 at ID-53 and Garwood Road will allow for a speed limit increase on US-95 to 70 mph through that section.
The final design is scheduled to be complete by spring 2019, and construction is scheduled to start during summer 2019. The project is estimated to cost $41 million to construct.
Planning for this project started in 2010 with the completion of a study of US-95 between Garwood and Sagle. In 2017, ITD started designing the realignment of ID-53 and the replacement of the bridge over the UPRR. The project scope expanded in mid-2017 to include a new ID-53 interchange, an overpass for Garwood Road and frontage roads when additional funding was secured through the GARVEE Expansion Program.
Members of the public can contact the project team by emailing US95Corridor@itd.idaho.gov or calling (208) 772-1200. For more information and to comment online until August 15, visit itd.idaho.gov/d1, find the projects tab and select “US-95: ID-53 Interchange.”
