The Idaho Transportation Department is set to begin construction in late June to replace both the east and westbound bridges over the Coeur d’Alene River on Interstate 90 near milepost 40 in Cataldo. The current bridges were originally built in 1964 and have reached the end of their service lives.
This summer crews will build crossovers and a temporary bridge over the river to allow crews and equipment safe access to the work zone. Crossovers are sections of temporary pavement that will allow traffic to cross over from one side of the freeway to the other during different phases of construction.
This summer while traveling through the area drivers should expect lane reductions with I-90 being reduced to one lane in each direction. Traffic will remain separated by the median in 2024. In addition, drivers will encounter speed reductions and lane width restrictions through the work zone as well.
Floaters, anglers, and boaters will be affected throughout construction by intermittent access and use restrictions of the Coeur d’Alene river near the work area. More detailed information regarding river access will be available through locally posted signage, as well as on ITD’s project webpage. (https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i90cataldobridges)
“Getting these crossovers built by fall will allow us to hit the ground running next spring with demolition work and allow us to get one of the bridges fully reconstructed to have it open in time for winter,” Project Manager Steve Nettleton said.
This project will be completed in two phases over the course of three years, with one bridge being fully replaced in 2025 and in the other 2026.
Starting in spring of 2025 both lanes of traffic will be shifted onto the westbound bridge allowing for the demolition and reconstruction of the eastbound structure. All lanes on both bridges will be open for winter travel.
The following spring, in 2026, this process will be repeated. Traffic will shift onto the newly constructed eastbound bridge, allowing for the demolition and replacement of the westbound structure.
Ongoing information will be available on the ITD project website. Real-time traffic impacts and updates for this work zone will be available at Idaho 511, either online or through the app on any smart device.
Users are also encouraged to sign up for email updates to stay in the know about key information, project milestones and significant upcoming impacts.
Click here to watch a short video about this project.