Bypass work to delay traffic

SANDPOINT — Rush hour motorists who depend on the Long Bridge might want to budget more time for their morning commute.

Work on the U.S. Highway 95 bypass, in addition to the usual slug of heavy morning traffic, will continue to cause delays at the north end of the bridge.

The topic was raised by Mayor Gretchen Hellar at Thursday’s weekly construction update meeting. Hellar said she receiving reports that typical 15-minute delays are now stretching as long as 45 minutes.

“Is this something we’re going to be living with for a couple of years?” Hellar asked Parsons RCI, the Sand Creek Byway’s lead contractor.

“I don’t see it changing,” said Parsons project engineer Shane Webley.

Material trucks are using the highway to access the Idaho Transportation Department’s former snow storage site, where production pile driving continues. The installation of sheet piling and excavation for Pier 2 of the mainline bridge is scheduled to begin this week.

Across U.S. 95, trucks are accessing the west side of the bridge, where a retaining wall for a southbound causeway is taking shape.

Parsons is contemplating a modified work schedule to address the onslaught of classic cars which make their way to Sandpoint on the Friday before the Lost In the 50s weekend.

“We’re looking at revising our work hours to plan for that,” said Webley.

Installation of decking for a work trestle in Sand Creek is continuing, although a section of the decking will be removed by June to aid boat navigation.

The temporary work trestle is not expected to impede the annual wooden boat show in July.

Rock buttressing of the shoreline extension on the east side of Sand Creek between the Bridge and Cedar street bridges is complete and the initial stage of fill will be allowed to settle for another week. Buttressing is also complete for the north bike/pedestrian path is done and the first stage of fill is settling.

Near the junction of the U.S. 95 and Highway 200, the excavation of a stormwater retention pond is done and a temporary treatment system has begun.

A culvert across Highway 200 east the junction is expected to begin later this week and major excavation on either side of the highway is slated to start in about a week.

Flaggers will be utilized to aid traffic flow.

Bypass construction forecasts are available on the Web (itd.idaho.gov/projects/d1).