Bridge, widening are a matter of when

The Sand Creek Byway is completed and the widening of U.S. Highway 95 in Ponderay is nearing completion, but it remains unclear when the two remaining segments of the sprawling Sandpoint North & South project will be constructed.

“It’s definitely going to happen. There’s just a lot that goes into when,” Jerry Wilson, the Idaho Transportation Department’s project development engineer for the Panhandle.

The two remaining legs of Sandpoint North & South involve replacing the Long Bridge and widening U.S. 95 from the south end of the bridge to Sagle. Both projects are huge and expected to be costly, especially replacement of the bridge.

Neither project has been designed and no funding has been identified.

Wilson said it could take 10 years or perhaps longer to replace the bridge, which was constructed in 1978.

“It still has a lot of life to it. We’re going to be doing some small projects because there’s some rust forming on the piers,” said Wilson, adding that there will be some maintenance work on the parallel pedestrian bridge in the near future.

Available funding and a deteriorating level of service will be the driving factors in replacing the bridge. Although it turns into a parking lot when crashes occur on the span, it currently has a generally acceptable level of service in handling the traffic it carries.

Those who access the highway south of the bridge, however, have been clamoring for improvements for years. Turning onto the highway on the two-lane stretch can be a white-knuckled affair due the volume and velocity of traffic.

Many have insisted that stoplights be installed, although ITD has said that is simply not an option, partly due to the congestion they would create.

Wilson said it’s possible that highway widening in Sagle could precede construction of a new bridge, however.

“Until you get the Sandpoint-to-Sagle section done, you don’t really need the additional (bridge) lanes because no matter what, you have a bottleneck,” he said.

The massive Garwood-to-Sagle project, which is turning U.S. 95 into a controlled-access highway between Sagle and Hayden, barely inches into Bonner County at Granite Hill.

However, more of the project — which is split into six geographic areas — could be constructed in Bonner County if traffic conditions and available funding warrant.

“It really comes down to where the traffic is and where the highest priorities are,” Wilson said.