Downtown streets going two-way

SANDPOINT — The city will soon have final plans for the two-way conversion of downtown streets, not long after the first of the year.

Kody Van Dyk, Public Works director, said the project has three prongs, including revitalizing the downtown streets, changing U.S. Highway 2 to two-way between Cedar and Pine, and finishing revitalization of the downtown streets currently managed by the state.

The city is revitalizing the internal streets in downtown, with the exception of Pine, First and Cedar because they are owned by the state.

The state is also “well along” on its project to turn Fifth Avenue from Cedar to Pine into a two-way street. Currently the U.S. 2 highway signage routes traffic through downtown, taking a left on First and another left of Cedar, for people traveling in from Priest River or Washington state.

“They may not all do that,” Van Dyk said. “Many of the trucks take Boyer instead of going through downtown. But that’s not U.S. 2.”

Once the state finishes the intersection at Fifth and Pine, the other streets in downtown will also be changed to two-way. When completed, traffic will take a left at Fifth and Pine, and won’t be routed through downtown. The state will relinquish Pine, First and Cedar, Van Dyk said.

“They will give those streets back to the city,” Van Dyk said. “In front of the Panida will be two-way ... Pine Street will be two-way, Cedar Street will be two-way. That will happen the fall of 2016.”

Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency will then fund revitalization of the three streets, over time as money comes in. Van Dyk said it could take a few years to finish the project.

“As money comes in to their coffers through tax collection, they will have money to pay for projects,” Van Dyk said.

Van Dyk said in about two months, final plans will be sent to the city and bids will go out in the spring. He thinks construction will start in the summer, but is unsure of the state’s exact timeline. By this time next year, the streets will all be two-way, he said.

Van Dyk said the transition will  make the streets “much more safe” for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“Traffic will be slower, be less traffic,” Van Dyk said.

The process went through a “rigorous, robust” public comment period, Van Dyk said, and the majority of people showed overwhelming support for the streets going two-way. From the public comment period, the downtown street plan was born and the Sandpoint City Council adopted the plan in Dec. 2012. 

Van Dyk said the city has been following through with the street plan since it was adopted. At the last meeting, the council purchased Farmin’s Landing, which was in the street plan. Van Dyk said now that the city owns the land, they can designate it as a bike route along the water.

“The primary reason for that piece of property was for bike and ped access to City Beach through downtown,” Van Dyk said, adding that stormwater treatment is the secondary reason for purchasing the land.

Urban Renewal has funded the design for the first phase, which includes Main and First to Pine and First. First will be narrowed and the sidewalks will be widened. Van Dyk hopes for a fall 2016 start, but most likely construction will happen in 2017.

The city will apply for community development block grants to help Urban Renewal with the costs.