Bypass trespassers face prosecution

SANDPOINT — Sandpoint and Ponderay police are stepping up enforcement of trespassing on the Sand Creek Byway.

Portions of the new U.S. Highway 95 alignment remain under construction and are closed to the public until the bypass is fully opened. The closure also applies to pedestrian and bike paths associated with the project.

The project remains an active construction site and is closed off to the public for safety and liability reasons.

“Violators face being cited or arrested if found on the Sand Creek Byway project. We are receiving almost daily reports of violators within the boundaries of the project who have disregarded the posted signage,” Sandpoint Police Chief Mark Lockwood and Ponderay Police Chief Mike Hutter said in a joint statement.

Those caught trespassing could be cited for a misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Lockwood said some particularly brazen scofflaws have been confrontational with project contractors, contending it’s public property. However, the project remains off-limits to the public until the byway opens this spring.