Work planned for city streets

By CAMERON RASMUSSON

Staff writer

SANDPOINT — Now that the city has picked a contractor, work is ready to begin on the reconstruction of Third and Fourth avenues.

Identified as a top priority street project, the street reconstruction project should increase safety and ease-of-use with some visual improvements thrown in, according to Sandpoint Public Works director Kody Van Dyk. Council members awarded the job to contractor Accelerated Construction last week for a bid of $446,735. The project is scheduled to be completed before the end of this year, Van Dyk said.

“The plan is to get most — if not all — of it completed this construction season,” he added.

With a contractor selected for the job, Van Dyk plans to approach the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency and request funding for the project. That will be more of a formality than anything, he said.

“They’ve already said they will (fund the project), but they wanted to wait for the bids and for (council) action,” Van Dyk said.

The Third and Fourth Avenue reconstruction projects were selected as a top priority for the city last year shortly after the completion of the Sand Creek Byway. In putting together a downtown streets plan for the city, Allison Wildman of Portland, Ore.-based SERA Architects suggested the two streets primarily because they aren’t under the control of the Idaho Transportation Department. Therefore, the city doesn’t have to wait for the realignment of U.S. 2 to complete work along them, Wildman said.

Construction will impact the two avenues from Pine to Church streets and will involved the installation of sidewalks, curbs, storm water facilities, street bases asphalt pavement and landscaping. Third Avenue will require a complete reconstruction, while the Fourth Avenue streetscape will remain mostly intact. Since both streets are expected to be reconstructed simultaneously, that will allow drivers to pass through Fourth Avenue while Third Avenue is blocked off.

Both streets will employ a “green street” building philosophy, defined in the city’s downtown streets guide as “landscaped spaces that transform street surfaces into living stormwater management facilities.” Green streets improve stormwater management and reduce harmful elements in runoff through a combination of natural vegetation, porous pavers, bioswales and more.

In addition, Fourth Avenue will be altered to include repaired sidewalks and angled parking. Meanwhile, Third Avenue, which has been identified as a key biking street, will receive biking amenities like sharrows — painted bicycle symbols designed to remind drivers the street is a common bike route.