Residents have chance to talk road project

by Cameron Rasmusson Staff Writer
| October 3, 2012 7:00 AM

SANDPOINT — Area residents have a chance to speak their mind on proposed improvements to Schweitzer Cutoff Road at a Thursday open house.

A project that will establish improvements to better accommodate the heavy truck traffic along the road, the open house is scheduled at City Hall from 4-6 p.m. Employees of project consultant J-U-B Engineers will be on hand to answer questions and consolidate public opinion on the changes.

There won’t be a formal presentation at the open house, so residents can feel free to drop by at any time convenient for them.

For those who can’t make the open house, the opportunity to formally comment will remain open until Oct. 18 by emailing bk@langdongroupinc.com or calling 1 (800) 252-8929.

The goal behind the project is to improve traffic circulation by altering Schweitzer Cutoff Road with critical improvements. Because of the road’s design and the large amounts of heavy truck use, traffic often backs up when large vehicles attempt to turn left onto Boyer Avenue from the westbound lane. When cars attempting to access Schweitzer Cutoff Road via U.S. 95 or Kootenai Cutoff Road can’t do so, traffic congestion can spread to other roadways as well.

The scope of the project will span between the intersection with Old Boyer Road and progress past the Boyer Avenue intersection to U.S. 95. The new design attempts to solve problems by flattening the road’s steep grade and adding a roundabout at the intersection with Boyer Avenue. Through these measures, project supervisors aim to encourage steady through traffic flow and safe turning movement.

In addition, the project will include measures to improve bike and pedestrian mobility along the road. Current plans call for a widening of curbs, gutters and the bridge, which will make room for infrastructure like a shared-use pathway, bike lanes and sidewalks.

Project planners slate construction on the road for a likely 2015 timetable. However, there is potential for the work to be expedited if unforeseen funds become available.