Bypass traffic delays expected

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Transportation Department is warning that motorists should expect delays on U.S. Highway 95 because of Sand Creek Byway construction.

On Tuesday, crews will be paving a temporary traffic lane on the east side of U.S. 95 at the north end of the Long Bridge. The work will be under way from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Two lanes of traffic will be maintained, although there will be occasional interruptions to accommodate asphalt trucks.

On Thursday, sandblasting and striping operations are tentatively slated to  commence in that area. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained, but there will also be intermittent reductions to a single lane. This work is planned for 8 a.m. to noon.

In other bypass construction areas, work continues apace.

Material trucks will be accessing the highway at the former ITD snow storage area at the north end of the bridge. Pier cap construction of Pier 1 of the mainline bridge has begun. Pier footing construction and the concrete pour for Pier 2 is done. Work on Pier 3 is complete and the removal of sheet pile and backfill will be done at a later date.

At the former Lakeside Inn site, production pile driving for Pier 4 is ongoing and pier footing construction for one of the southbound off-ramp piers is expected to begin in about a week. The installation of H piles for the roadway and abutment south of Bridge Street Bridge is also ongoing. Stage one of the retaining construction will follow.

Roadway sheet pile driving continues on the shoreline extension between the Bridge and Cedar street bridges. Trucks will be accessing Bridge Street from First Avenue.

Mass excavation on the mainline alignment north of Cedar Street Bridge and the northwest interchange area east of the U.S. 95/Highway 200 interchange is also continuing.

Construction updates are posted online (itd.idaho.gov/projects/d1) and weekly update meetings are held at the ITD Transportation Information Office on Thursdays at 11 a.m. The TIO is located at 202 North Second Avenue.