E. Spring Creek Road work planned

CLARK FORK — East Spring Creek Road is getting a dose of asphalt.

Bonner County commissioners Dan McDonald and Steven Bradshaw awarded a $299,472 bid to Woods Crushing & Hauling on Tuesday. The Bonner County company was the low bidder.

The county plans on paving 1.49 miles of road, work which is being done in conjunction with a Natural Resource Conservation Service project to stabilize the banks of Lightning Creek, which is one the wettest drainages in the state.

Unrelenting rains in 2006 washed out part of East Spring Creek Road, which cut off road access to scores of residents in the valley.

“They’ve been working to get the stream away from where it has a tendency to want to cut into the lowest portion of East Spring Creek Road,” Bonner County Road & Bridge Director Steve Klatt said of the NRCS work on Wednesday.

Part of the project’s cost — $135,000 — is being covered through an Idaho Department of Environmental Quality grant.

“It’s a substantial portion,” said county Engineer Matt Mulder told commissioners on Tuesday.

The county is contributing a $100,000 in matching funds.

The county is slated to commence its work on the project next week with brushing and ditching. Hard-surfacing the route could take place in July or August.

The county plans to keep one lane of travel open during the work, which will likely cause some traffic delays. There will be no detour or traffic revisions.

“There’s no way to detour. There’s no other way in or out,” Klatt said.

Although the work will iron out a notoriously washboard-prone portion of the road, it will remain a narrow route for motorists.

“The biggest thing is we have no room to widen the road. Local drivers are just going to have to watch their speed,” said Klatt.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.