State moves to condemn land for new bridge

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Transportation Board has initiated condemnation proceedings against two landowners to secure right of way for a new bridge over Trestle Creek on Highway 200.

The board initiated the proceedings after negotiations with the owners of the Trestle Creek Inn failed to bear fruit. Negotiations for part of a parcel owned by Pend Oreille Bonner Development also fell apart, according to documents filed in 1st District Court.

The state is asking the court determine a fair price for portions of the two properties. The bridge replacement project includes demolition of the Trestle Creek Inn, which is currently closed down.

The Idaho Transportation Department plans to replace the 73-year-old bridge with a 105-foot-long, simple-span structure constructed of precast concrete components.

The replacement is slated for construction next year, according to The Transporter, an ITD newsletter. Three million dollars has been programed for the project.

The state plans to rehabilitate the surface of Highway 200 from the Pack River Bridge to the Lightning Creek Bridge this summer.

The bridge replacement project was delayed in 2002 partly due to critical habitat designation for endangered bull trout, transportation board minutes indicate.

A 2009 inspection classified the bridge deck, superstructure and substructure as being in “serious” condition. The span is deemed structurally deficient and has a lowly sufficiency rating, according to the Federal Highway Administration.