Too late now, but thoughts on the bypass

Just wondering how much a tunnel would have cost in lieu of the Sand Creek Byway. By no means is this scientific. Using the New Zealand Manapouri Second Tailrace Tunnel bid published by the Colorado School of Mines figure of $132,000,000 in 1998 dollars for the 10 km tunnel, I came up with the math. That would be $174,000,000 in 2009 dollars. The rock was old, about 13 million years. Our mountains are also old and have a similar geologic nature. Our byway is 2.1 miles. Let’s see, one mile is about 1.6 kilometers. So, 3.38 x $17,400,000 per mile cost = $58,000,000. The bid price at the start of the byway construction was $98,000,000. The Manapouri Tunnel took 18 months to complete. Our byway won’t be finished until 2012 and began in 2008. Certainly there would be additional costs for the entrance and exits, and the Manapouri Tunnel was made for water transfer, not as a road. Also, it is likely there would have been the need for either two tunnels, and/or a larger tunnel. So, it would make common sense to double the cost to a total of $116,000,000. Not completely for or against the idea. Just thought I would put my thought process out there. I do have this opinion. If a tunnel had been constructed, I am not sure we would have had the kind of delays across the Longbridge we have already experienced, and certainly will encounter again.

It has been reported that this is already the most expensive highway project in Idaho history, though that is only partially true. That claim is garnered by the Garwood to Sagle improvement of Highway 95. I am not sure if those high costs include the byway.

US Highway 95 is going through a massive overhaul. The first section, south of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho from Fighting Creek on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation to Coeur d’Alene, has been completed. It changed the highway from a two lane highway to a four lane highway for approximately 10 miles.

The completion of the US 95 project is still years away. One new section was recently completed between Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene, but even funding has been tentative. The economy hurts all parts of our government, but given that there was resistance during boom years, finishing this project may take us into the next decade. Certainly we in North Idaho are the poor stepchildren at the mercy of the larger populated southern Idaho lawmakers.

GARY LIRETTE

Sandpoint