County transportation team discusses ongoing projects

SANDPOINT — Following “the rainiest spring ever,” the Bonner County Area Transportation Team is hoping most construction projects will be over by the start of the school year.

Carrie Anne Hewitt from the Idaho Transportation Department shared updates regarding construction on U.S. 95 in Sagle.

A paving project will take place from the Long Bridge to the Linscott gravel pit. The project will begin Aug. 14 and will last for under two weeks. According to Hewitt, ITD had hoped the contractor would also complete the planned turnaround on U.S. 95 as well.

ITD is putting in a turnaround between Denali and Jones roads in Sagle. When completed, the project will allow southbound traffic to enter a middle lane, turn left (crossing the northbound lane), and enter a turnaround where they can re-enter U.S. 95 by turning right to join northbound traffic.

The turnaround cannot be built until a retaining wall is put in, Hewitt said. However, she said the contractor is having difficulty getting the necessary pieces for the wall, which will be built between Serenity Lee Trail and U.S. 95.

Until the wall can be built, the contractor has asked to instead work on Sagle Road beginning in the end of August or early September. According to Hewitt, ITD has allocated 17 working days for Sagle Road improvements, but said it is doubtful they will need that entire period. The road will be closed and detours will be used, potentially for the first few weeks of the school year.

A traffic light that had been planned for Sagle Road at U.S. 95 is still in the works, but supply chain delays are estimated to take about a year.

Road striping crews are also behind schedule with Damon Allen, ITD District 1 engineer, placing the blame on “the rainiest spring ever,” which he said ruined their plans to finish striping by July. As a result, the deadline was pushed back to the fall.

“If we had had a normal spring we would have been done by the end of July,” Allen said.

Bonner County Commissioner Jeff Connolly expressed concern over the condition of guardrails around the county. “Everywhere I drive I see destroyed guardrail,” he said.

Allen told BCATT members that the department is working to replace guard rails in the area.

According to Allen, the state has lost almost $1,000,000 on damaged property due to traffic incidents in the last year. The state only recovers about half the damages to public property from traffic accidents. Allen called this a huge blow to the ITD budget. One area on I-90 has proven so problematic that the guardrail had to be replaced three times in three weeks.

Allen said the policy is “worst first,” so areas with the highest amount of traffic or of accidents will be addressed by ITD before others.

Population growth in North Idaho as well as increased tourism since COVID are behind much of the damage, Allen said. Next year, the district will likely have a special vehicle for guardrail construction, while continuing to contract as needed.

The BCATT is a network of several different individuals representing many transportation groups from different areas of the county as well as different levels of the government. They meet once a month.

Hewitt also asked for public comment on ITD’s website. The Idaho Transportation Investment Plan is open for public comment until July 31. She directed the public to itd.idaho.gov/funding.