Culvert work to impact traffic

PONDERAY — The installation of a culvert across Highway 200 is tentatively set for Thursday and Friday, according to the Idaho Transportation Department and Sand Creek Byway contractor Parsons RCI.

The work is being done east of the U.S. Highway 95 turnoff and is expected to result in traffic delays of three to five minutes. The work will be done between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., the standard bypass construction hours.

The culvert work coincides with major excavation on either side of Highway 200 and the construction of a haul road leading south from Ponderay to the downtown Sandpoint area.

Trucks will be accessing highways 200 and 95 in Ponderay and flaggers will be utilized to help guide traffic.

At the south end of the project, storm and wick drain installation is complete at the north end of the Long Bridge and the initial construction of a retaining wall will be allowed to settle for another week.

Crews are done pouring concrete for the Pier 1 footing of the mainline bridge and pier stem concrete is anticipated to be poured in about two weeks. Pier 1 of the southbound off-ramp is also done.

Production pile driving for Pier 2 of the mainline bridge is ongoing, as is pier cap construction on Pier 3. Excavation for an abutment of the off-ramp is slated to begin this week.

• Weekly construction update meetings are held at 11 a.m. on Thursdays in the Transportation Information Office, located at 202 North Second Ave. Updates are also posted on the Web (itd.idaho.gov/projects/d1 or www.511.idaho.gov).