Striping a prelude to 2-way traffic

SANDPOINT — The City Council tabled a proposal Wednesday to start laying the groundwork for the restoration of two-way traffic flows downtown.

Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk advised the council that the proposal is being held back while officials review additional alternatives with design consultants.

Van Dyk planned to ask the council to approve re-striping the intersections on First Avenue at Bridge and Church streets as a temporary prelude to a broader project to convert one-way downtown routes to two-way traffic patterns. The temporary proposal would essentially recast Church and First as two-way streets and make Bridge Street accessible to both northbound and southbound traffic on First.

The striping would be in place until construction at those and other intersection is complete, which is slated for the fall.

The broader project also involves restoring two-way traffic at the south end of Fifth Avenue, between Pine and Cedar streets.

Fifth Avenue doubles as a route for U.S. Highway 2.

Once the $2.5 million project is completed, the Idaho Transportation Department will return downtown streets under state jurisdiction to local control.

Scott Fellom, a District 1 ITD spokesman, said the project’s funding is scheduled and available. Work is expected to start in August, he said.

The two-way traffic plan is meant to slow and reduce the amount of downtown traffic, which would also make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. However, some contend the two-way traffic plan will further snarl downtown traffic and drag down the level of service on U.S. 2.