Public input sought in Ponderay circulation study

PONDERAY — The face of Ponderay could be changing by an upcoming highway widening.

However, government authorities intend to mitigate the impact.

The Idaho Transportation Department is teaming up with consulting firm David Evans and Associates to launch a road circulation study in Ponderay. The analysis will help develop a plan to minimize the impact and keep traffic flow orderly in the town. Residents got their first look at the plans during a Ponderay Community Development Corporation meeting last Thursday.  

“Looking at implementation strategies is very important (for this project),” David Evans and Associates representative Lisa Key said. “Without a plan, you aren’t going to get anywhere.”

Several imminent traffic changes have made the Ponderay circulation study a necessity. With the upcoming opening of the Sand Creek Byway and the U.S. 95 Sandpoint to Kootenai Cuttoff Road project slated to begin in spring, traffic in Ponderay is slated to increase dramatically after all the work is complete.

Perhaps more than all the other slated changes to Ponderay traffic, the U.S. 95 Sandpoint to Kootenai Cutoff expansion will alter the way visitors and residents alike navigate the city. The construction project, slated to begin in April, will add two lanes and a median to the current alignment. Access to businesses on the opposite side of the roadway will be accomplished through strategically placed turnarounds. Finally, a traffic signal will be added at Bonner Mall Way. According to ITD officials, the design is 98 percent complete, with some drainage engineering the only matter left to address.

The widening is necessary given the highway’s projected importance as a major international freight thoroughfare. With safety and capacity issues a pressing concern for ITD, officials said the project was an immediate priority. However, they would do everything possible to mitigate its impact on local business. 

The study focuses in particular on the triangle — a region in Ponderay framed by Kootenai Cutoff Road to the north, U.S. 95 to the west and Highway 200 to the southeast. An area that features significant commercial  activity, the triangle will be heavily impacted by the traffic changes. 

After securing plenty of local feedback, David Evans and Associates representatives hope to mitigate the impact with their circulation study. With some careful planning, Key said their goal is to develop a local traffic system that can peacefully coexist with the heavy traffic on U.S. 95.

Key proposed improving circulation around the triangle by increasing access to Highway 200. She also pointed out the need to find a solution for Fontaine Drive’s abrupt termination, which could possibly be alleviated by a cul-de-sac. Finally, she highlighted the need for a cohesive pedestrian and bicycling strategy.

However, the entire purpose of the circulation study is to find a solution that will work for the entire community. To that end, residential feedback is critical. A stakeholder meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Feb. 9, at Bonner Mall to collect local feedback. Everyone who frequents Ponderay is welcome.