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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.

The Idaho Transportation Department will resume repaving work on Eagle Road this month between Interstate 84 and State Highway 44. Portions of Eagle Road will be detoured at night starting Monday, April 17. All work is weather dependent.
This year, crews will repair the road surface on Eagle Road and several intersections between I-84 and SH-44, including McMillan Road, Ustick Road, and Fairview Avenue. This is the second season of a two-year project.

During the week of April 10, crews will begin preparation work and one lane will be closed on Eagle Road at night. Starting April 17, all lanes of Eagle Road will be detoured each night where crews are working.

Between Franklin Rd. and Chinden Blvd.:

• Traffic will be detoured to Locust Grove Road or Cloverdale Road

Between Chinden Blvd. and SH-44:

• Traffic will be shifted to one side of Eagle Road

At the McMillan, Ustick, and Fairview Intersections:

• Traffic will be detoured to Locust Grove Road or Cloverdale Road

Overnight closures and detours will begin at 10 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. on weekdays. Weekend opening times will vary between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. depending on traffic volumes. All lanes will be open during the day. For the latest closure information, text EagleRoad to 1-866-483-8422 or visit itdprojects.org/eagleroadrepairs.

“We have a lot of ground to cover this construction season, so we ask that drivers slow down and be cautious where crews are working,” said Jeff Ryan, ITD Design/Construction Engineer. “Nighttime closures will help keep crews safe and keep all lanes open during the daytime commute.”

Temporary steel plates will be placed on Eagle Road to cover manholes until the project is complete. Please drive with caution.

Last season, crews repaved the roadway near I-84 and Island Woods Drive. All construction is expected to be completed in fall 2023.

Idaho Materials & Construction is the contractor for this $18 million project.

Photo taken by Taeli Elordi

 

The Idaho Transportation Department will activate the new signal at US Highway 20 and State Highway 47 this Thursday to make the intersection safer.  

“Last year we were able to add new turn lanes at this intersection to make it more efficient,” ITD Engineering Manager Bryan Young said. “Turning on the signal will be the last change we make to the intersection and make it easier for drivers on SH-47 to turn on to US-20 without making any risky maneuvers.”   

Testing will be done beforehand to make sure everything is in working order to have the signal running properly on Thursday. Crews will close lanes on both highways for several hours a time to test the signal, as well as to apply pavement markings to help drivers understand the new layout of the intersection. 

Safety is the main concern. Please be aware of crews on the road and drive with caution.  

For updates on traffic impacts on state highways and interstates, drivers should check 511.idaho.gov before traveling.   

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 maintenance crew at the distant Powell ITD shed in north-central Idaho are quite accustomed to late-night calls. It is not uncommon to hear the radio in the background as they keep an ear out for alarming chatter while ‘off duty.’

The Powell yard is located nearly 90 miles down the scenic US-12 corridor in the heart of the Clearwater/Bitterroot National Forest. It is known by many for both its pristine beauty and rugged terrain that takes you deep into Idaho backcountry.

Unfortunately, a hiker in distress became an emergency call on the radio in the late evening of February 28. The hiker had taken a serious fall during her visit to Weir Creek Hot Springs (pictured below), sustaining major injuries while tumbling down a 200-foot embankment off the edge of the trail and into the creek. Unable to move and in desperate need of help, her companions pulled her from the freezing water to the nearby rocky bank until help could arrive.

ITD District 2 employees Bill Foust and Casey Zeimantz were the first to arrive on scene, followed by Mitch Miller. The response included Idaho State Police Trooper David Wesche, three U.S. Forest Service personnel, Lowell’s Quick Response Team, Idaho County Sheriff Deputy and an ambulance from Kooskia.

The terrain can be described as ‘super steep, narrow and super slick.’ After locating the hiker, Foust, Zeimantz and Trooper Wesche were trying the determine the best way to get down to her at the creek. “I was just glad it wasn’t snowing,” Foust said. “It would have made it even more challenging.”

Foust assisted the injured hiker by keeping her spirits up and performing a basic medical assessment to determine if she could be moved. “It was difficult to assess because she had been partially submerged for so long. She was extremely cold and hypothermic,” described Foust.

Indications were pointing to something broken, like a possible neck or back injury. Caution dictated that she wasn’t going to be moved without advanced medical care and proper immobilization techniques.

The medical team arrived from Kooskia and got her situated on a backboard. “We placed heat packs around her and wrapped her up in thermal space blankets. She couldn’t feel the heat which started to make us nervous,” shared Foust.

Next, a qualified rope team secured her to be carried back up to the trail. Foust estimated that it “took 12 or 13 of us to hoist her out of there inch by inch and with excellent teamwork.”

She was extracted at around 4:30 a.m. and en route to the hospital. Her condition was looking grim, but the team was relieved to get her to advanced care in Missoula, Montana.

A tip of the cap to these gentlemen for their eagerness to assist someone in need and for their professionalism under pressure. It was a delicate situation handled with the utmost care.

As a token of their commitment to safety, D2 Operations Engineer Jared Hopkins and Powell Foreman Richard Baerlocher awarded ITD Safety Challenge Coins to Bill, Casey and Mitch.