Category: North

Construction will begin Monday, May 1, to rebuild nearly eight miles of I-90 from the Big Creek Exit to the West Wallace Exit.

Next week crews will begin setting up the work zone, and by May 8, all traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and shifted on to the westbound lanes so the eastbound lanes can be reconstructed this season.

The project includes replacing concrete sections, most of which dates back to the 1970s when I-90 was first built.

“The concrete is old and heavily deteriorated. In the design phase, we compared the cost of repaving with concrete versus rebuilding with asphalt and decided that asphalt was the most economical choice for this section, both for the short-term costs and long-term maintenance,” Project Manager Joey Sprague said.

At the start of construction the eastbound on- and off-ramps at the Silverton Interchange will close for several months. Drivers trying to access eastbound I-90 will need to use either Exit 57 in Osburn or Exit 61 in Wallace.

Once the work near Silverton is complete, the ramps will reopen and Exit 61 will be closed, so drivers will need to detour to Exit 62. Message boards will be posted in advance of any changes in access.

Later this summer, work will also shift about five miles to repave a short section of I-90 near the east end of the Wallace Viaduct.

The project will last two years. Construction in 2024 will include all lanes from the Big Creek Exit to Osburn and the westbound lanes from Osburn to Wallace.

Other work zones are already in place near Fourth of July Pass and in Kellogg.

“We are waiting to reconstruct the section between Big Creek and Osburn until next year after the Kellogg bridges are complete to give drivers a break in work zones,” Sprague said.

Drivers are reminded to check 511.idaho.gov before traveling to plan for delays from construction.

Construction will resume Monday on I-90 to resurface four miles east of Fourth of July Pass.

Crews will start preparing for all traffic to run on the eastbound set of lanes by adjusting striping and placing signage. During the first week of construction, drivers can expect one lane to be closed in the eastbound direction while crews are working.

More significant impacts will start the last week of April when all traffic will be shifted onto the eastbound set of lanes so that work can begin on the westbound set of lanes. Only one lane in each direction will be open. Repairs are expected to start first on westbound I-90 and then transition to installing new concrete barrier in the median to prevent head on-crashes.

Eastbound I-90 was the focus of work in 2022. The project is expected to be complete in October.

Travelers are encouraged to be aware of other work zones on I-90, like bridge replacements in Kellogg, and are advised to check 511.idaho.gov before driving.

Construction is expected to start Monday, April 17, to upgrade the intersection at State Highway 53 and Ramsey Road east of Rathdrum.

Crews will add right and left turn lanes on both roadways and will replace the existing temporary signal with a permanent one. Work is scheduled to take place through September with the highway reduced to one lane in each direction.

“Impacts will be fairly similar to what they are now,” Project Manager Megan Koski said. “Drivers will just need to plan extra time to get through the work zone.”

The existing temporary signal was installed in 2019 to help with congestion while traffic was detoured during the construction of the new interchange at SH-53 and US-95.

Traffic impacts at this work zone and another on SH-53 near Hauser are available at 511.idaho.gov.

Several projects this summer will widen and repave State Highway 53 from Hauser Lake Road to Rathdrum, with the first work zone of the season expected to start slowing down traffic on Monday, April 10.

“Many drivers take SH-53/Trent Avenue to commute back and forth between Spokane and Coeur d’Alene as an alternative to I-90, so we want drivers to plan extra time to get where they need to go,” Project Manager Steve Nettleton said.

Two lanes will remain open during construction, but once construction begins next week speed limits will be reduced and the lanes will be very narrow.

Drivers should be familiar with this work zone, as widening first began last year to add a center turn lane on the two-mile stretch starting near McGuire Road and continuing through Bruss Road.

Last year crews added temporary pavement to the south side of the highway to keep two lanes open during construction this year while they build the base of the new lane to the north. Crews will also reconstruct the existing two lanes of SH-53.

By the time construction ends in September, drivers can expect new right turn lanes and lighting at the intersections of McGuire Road, North Church Road, Bruss Road and Hauser Lake Road. An acceleration lane at Cloverleaf Road will help drivers get up to speed and merge with eastbound traffic.

Since this project overlaps with future plans to build an interchange at Pleasant View Road in 2028, minimal improvements will be constructed near the intersections of Pleasant View Road and Hauser Lake Road at this time.

“The goal of this project and future ones is to make the highway safer by providing turn lanes for drivers,” Nettleton said. “Drivers won’t have to be worried about being rear-ended as they wait to turn left off the highway.”

By late summer drivers will pass through another two work zones between Hauser Lake Road and Rathdrum. Other widening projects scheduled near the city in 2023 and 2024 and the state line in 2027.

For a list of projects this summer, visit itdprojects.org/sh53corridor.

Download a map of construction in 2023.

“Over the next few years, anyone who takes SH-53 will get used to seeing orange barrels,” Nettleton said.

The department also plans to fund a project at the next opportunity to build similar improvements to the four miles between Bruss Road and Latah Street. If funded, all of SH-53 would eventually be three lanes from the state line to Rathdrum.

Drivers are encouraged to check live traffic conditions at 511.idaho.gov or download the new 511 app released in January.

Construction will begin Wednesday, April 5, to widen U.S. Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene north of the Spokane River Bridge to increase traffic flow.

Work will last for four months, and traffic will only have one lane in each direction to get through the work zone. Drivers should plan extra time to travel on US-95 or head downtown.

The highway currently features one lane in each direction in the area, with a sharp corner near the intersection with Lincoln Way and Walnut Avenue. Work will remove the concrete median in the center of that intersection so additional through and turn lanes can be built.

“This project will end near the turn off to go downtown and the Spokane River Bridge,” Project Manager Edward Cabale said. “All of the major intersections in this short section will remain the same, except near Lincoln Way and Walnut Avenue.”

During construction drivers will not be able to access the highway from Lincoln Way or Walnut Avenue. After construction a thin concrete curb will separate northbound and southbound traffic on US-95 at the curve and change how drivers will access the two side streets:

• Northbound drivers on US-95 will be able to access both streets.
• Southbound drivers on US-95 will no longer have access to either street.
• Drivers on Walnut Avenue will only be able to turn right on to the highway and will not be able to access Lincoln Way.
• Drivers on Lincoln Way will not be able to turn on to the highway and will only be able to turn right at Walnut Avenue.

This design was developed with the City of Coeur d’Alene and public feedback from open houses in 2018 to reduce confusion at the intersection. These changes will go into effect immediately once construction starts.

View the new design here.

“The current layout of the intersection allows highway traffic to flow freely but all other movements function like a three-way stop,” Cabale said. “Simplifying this intersection will make it safer and easier to navigate.”

The existing center turn lane will be extended through Linden Avenue to help with the changes at this intersection as well as access to businesses.

Traffic impacts for this project and others are available 24/7 at 511.idaho.gov.

Construction will resume for the median U-turn on U.S. Highway 95 next week near Sagle. Impacts to traffic will begin Monday, March 27.

Work in the coming months will include finishing the retaining wall, paving the widened portion of the highway and rebuilding the Serenity Lee Trail. Users can expect the following impacts:

• One lane will remain open in each direction.
• Flaggers will intermittently stop traffic for trucks entering and exiting the work zone.
• The turn lane for Bottle Bay will remain reduced in length.
• A detour for path users will be marked along county roads.

The median U-turn will give drivers trying to turn from Lakeshore Drive onto the highway another option to travel northbound; after construction ends in June, drivers will be able to either make an immediate left turn onto US-95 or turn right to join southbound traffic and perform a U-turn a half-mile away from the intersection to head north.

“Providing the U-turn option will reduce delays for drivers trying to get on the highway at Lakeshore Drive, as well as reduce the likelihood of near misses at this intersection,” Project Manager Phil Stout said.

Closer to Sagle, construction on a new signal at Sagle Road will continue. Work began last fall as crews started to build the signal arm and light pole foundations. Delays to traffic are anticipated to be minimal and limited to lane shifts and shoulder closures until a detour is posted in late April.

In late April, crews will close Sagle Road between US-95 and Lignite Road for up to one month. This closure will be in place for all traffic. Drivers can expect the following impacts:

• Drivers on US-95 will not be able to turn eastbound onto Sagle Road.
• Westbound drivers on Sagle Road will not be able access US-95.
• Drivers will be detoured along Lignite Road and Bottle Bay Road to access US-95.
• Only local traffic, such as school buses, emergency vehicles and residents living in the area, will be allowed through via Monarch Road.

Drivers will be encouraged to continue to use the detour even after Sagle Road opens at US-95 as not all lanes will be open to traffic until the project is complete.

“Our goal is to minimize the traffic impacts while allowing the contractor to complete the work safely,” Stout said. “We have put an incentive in the contract to encourage early completion.”

Visit the website at itdprojects.org/us95lakeshoredrive to sign up for construction updates and for more information, or check 511.idaho.gov for live traffic impacts.

The Idaho Transportation Department will host an open house on Tuesday, March 21, to present the proposed design for the 15^th Street Interchange in Coeur d’Alene as part of the I-90 corridor study. The study is funded by the Leading Idaho program.

With traffic conditions congested now and volumes expected to double by 2045, ITD is studying I-90 from the Washington state line to Coeur d’Alene to identify improvements to modernize the system, reduce crashes and save drivers’ time.

“We want to thank everyone for coming to the open houses for the corridor study in November,” ITD Project Manager Erika Bowen said. “Back then we were still considering alternatives for the 15^th Street Interchange, but now we’re ready to share the plans.”

This open house will focus solely on the 15^th Street Interchange. Updates on the overall corridor study will be shared at an open house later this summer, though responses to the most common comments have been published here.

Details for the open house are as follows:

Tuesday, March 21

4 – 7 p.m.

Coeur d’Alene Fire Station 3

1500 N 15th St, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814

For those not able to attend the open house, the same information will be available on March 21 at itdprojects.org/i90corridor. An online survey will be available at that link through April 4.

“The interchange has not been upgraded since it was first constructed in 1960,” Bowen said. “We have thoroughly analyzed several solutions since it provides key access to Fire Station 3, Avista Utilities, Cherry Hill Park and major residential areas.”

The study for the I-90 corridor is funded with Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds as part of Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. The program allows ITD to accelerate project timelines to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise take many years to fund and build.

Following the study and public input, the recommended projects will be prioritized and advanced into design and construction as funding becomes available.

If you need special accommodations during an open house, please contact the study team in advance at info@i90corridor.com or (208) 738-4190.

To stay up to date on the I-90 corridor project and improvements to the 15^th Street Interchange, visit itdprojects.org/i90corridor and sign up for email updates.

The second season of construction will resume this month at the I-90 and State Highway 41 Interchange, which is funded by Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.

Work this spring will primarily cause nighttime closures on I-90 and SH-41 as weather allows. Nighttime lane closures on I-90 will begin tonight, and in late March SH-41 will be closed for several nights as construction of a temporary bridge on I-90 over the highway progresses. Drivers should pay attention to signage in the work zone for exact timing of impacts.

“Everything we do is dependent on the weather particularly in these next few months,” Project Manager Shannon Stein said. “This work zone is complex, with crews planning to work on several areas of the interchange at the same time.”

Bridge construction will be the main focus of the 2023 season. Crews will work on a temporary bridge on I-90 over SH-41 to maintain traffic flow during construction as well as three permanent structures for eastbound I-90. Later this year crews will also begin building the three permanent bridges for westbound I-90.

“Unlike last year though drivers will see construction shift to other areas of the project, including the Seltice Way/SH-41 intersection and near Central Avenue to work on the future underpass for pedestrians,” Stein said.

View graphic of the 2023 construction season.

Impacts to traffic will be similar to last year and are as follows:

• Two lanes will be open during the day with reduced shoulders on I-90.
• The speed limit will be lowered to 55 mph on I-90 and 25 mph on SH-41 and Seltice Way.
• Intermittent lane restrictions on I-90 at night. Nighttime work hours are generally from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Work will start at 10 p.m. during special events.

The best way to stay informed is to sign up for email updates by visiting itdprojects.org/i90sh41ic or by calling 208-738-4190. Live traffic impacts can also be found at 511.idaho.gov.

To learn about the future interchange and how it will function, watch this video.

The Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds through Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative allowed this $78 million interchange reconstruction project to begin one year earlier than expected. This program has allowed ITD to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today across the state that would otherwise have taken many years to fund and build.