Bypass work slows for holiday

SANDPOINT — There will be limited construction work and hauling for the U.S. Highway 95 bypass today and on Memorial Day, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.

No work will be done on Sunday, which is routine.

Work on a retaining wall on the west side of the Long Bridge is continuing, as is the installation of wick drains on the railroad embankment on the east side of the highway. Trucks will be accessing U.S. 95 in the vicinity of this work area and flaggers will be on hand to help direct traffic.

Trucks will also be accessing the former snow-storage area at the north end of the bridge, where more test pile driving for a pier supporting the mainline bridge has begun. Production pile driving for this feature is expected to begin in about a week.

Production pile driving for an adjacent pier is done and pier footing construction is anticipated to begin in a week. Installation of decking for the temporary work trestle is done and a section of the structure has been removed so boats can navigate Sand Creek.

Sheet pile removal is complete for a pier for the southbound off-ramp.

Over at the former Lakeside Inn site, production pile driving is ongoing and the second phase of settlement for a test embankment is complete.

The installation of permanent sheet pile for an abutment and roadway south of Bridge Street Bridge is also ongoing.

At the north end of the project, excavation on both sides of Highway 200 is continuing.

A culvert underneath the highway east of the U.S. 95 interchange is scheduled for installation on Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29. Traffic will be restricted to one lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

ITD anticipates delays will last three to five minutes.

n Additional bypass construction information is available on the Web (itd.idaho.gov/projects/d1).