Long Bridge paving = more delays
An aerial view of the U.S. 95 Long Bridge and the Lakeshore Drive area.
(Photo courtesy IDAHO TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT)
SANDPOINT — Construction on U.S. 95 that caused many to be trapped in traffic for upward of 90 minutes last Thursday will complete its final step this weekend, but not without some delays first.
Crews will lay pavement this weekend, Oct. 16-17, to fill a section on the north portion of the Long Bridge. Road work will take place between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. Only one lane of traffic will be open which will cause significant delays to driving times.
"Our gut feeling is that the delays, while significant, will not be worth traveling out of town to avoid," said Megan Jahns, a public information officer for the Idaho Transportation Department.
She was unable to provide an estimate on how long delays are expected to be for drivers in the area, but ITD is confident that the delays will not be as severe as the one experienced by drivers on Oct. 7.
“This work is going to be from dawn to dusk, basically. This is a closure that you won't necessarily be able to avoid,” she continued.
There are currently three active construction projects on or near Long Bridge. U.S. 95 is the only road that accesses Sandpoint from the south, connecting nearby communities to the city where many commute to and from work.
“A lot of the time we don’t allow work on the weekends or during city events. This is probably something people won’t expect. Especially after a year of construction where we didn’t have work on the weekend,” Jahns said.
The construction is the first phase of repairs on Long Bridge, which began in March. This phase added expansion joints, support structures, and navigation lights for boaters to the major thoroughfare. Repairs were made to the retaining wall on the south side of the bridge, which was damaged by waves in 2020, and a protective coating was added to the guardrail of the bridge.
The aim of the project is to extend the lifespan of Long Bridge. The following phases for the repair project have yet to be decided.
“The importance of keeping this highway open is our utmost concern.” Jahns said.