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ITD presents South Hill highway construction
plans
at open house meeting |
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February 6, 2015 |
A lengthy section of the highway on Bonners
Ferry's South Hill will be updated with a left
turn lane, sidewalks, shoulders, new drainage
systems, and more. Currently, the Idaho
Transportation Department is looking at two
different options to update the road. The
project is currently in the planning stages;
construction is planned to begin in about three
years.
The Idaho Transportation Department held a
public information open house at the National
Guard Armory in Bonners Ferry on Thursday,
February 5. The open house was complete with
large posters and visuals, large aerial views of
the area with proposed highway improvements
sketched in, and several officials from ITD
present to provide information and answer
questions.
 People wandered in and out of the open house
throughout the afternoon and evening, toured
through the displays set up by ITD, asked
questions, and all were invited to provide
written comments and opinions.
Several years ago, an area on the highway toward
the south end of town was improved with a wider
corridor, a left turn lane, new road surfaces,
and other improvements.
Currently, ITD is focusing on the stretch of the
South Hill highway that runs from Madison Street
(that's the street that runs up the hill to the
City swimming pool) to Alderson Lane (which is
the street where the traffic light is located on
the South Hill).
ITD Considering Two Options
ITD has two alternatives they are considering
for improvement of that stretch of the highway.
Alternative #1 would essentially repeat what was
done for the south end of the highway several
years ago, and would include two 12-foot lanes
for traffic, along with a 12-foot turning lane.
Each side of the road would have a two-foot
shoulder, for a total roadway width of 40 feet.
A sidewalk would be added to one side of the
roadway, with only a six inch separation between
the sidewalk and the roadway shoulders.
In Alternative #2, the overall width of the
roadway would be 46 feet, and would include two
11-foot traffic lanes, a 12-foot turning lane,
and a 6 foot shoulder on each side of the road.
Alongside this roadway, there would be a
six-foot wide sidewalk on each side of the road,
with each sidewalk separated from the roadway by
a 5 1/2 foot vegetated strip.
According to Ben Ward, Staff Engineer from the
Coeur d'Alene office ot ITD, most people
attending the open house tended to lean toward
the wider Alternative #2, with the two
sidewalks.
"Alternative #2," said Mr. Ward, "has more
asphalt, more rock cap, more everything," making
it more expensive, but it appeared to be the
more popular option. He indicated that although
Alternative #2 would cost more than Alternative
#1, both options were within the $5.2 million
set aside for construction of this project.
Several city streets on the South Hill intersect
the highway at odd angles, instead of a standard
and safer 90 degree angle. There is some
consideration to addressing this issue in some
way also as the highway is updated.
Another consideration in ITD's plans would be
removing the traffic signal at Alderson Lane.
Timeline for the highway project
Mr. Ward outlined a rough timeline for this
South Hill highway project. Project design and
approval should be completed by early June, with
plans due in the Fall of 2016. Although there
could be some variation in start dates,
construction on the South Hill highway project
would most likely begin in 2018.
Longer term plans for the South Hill call for
additional upgrades to be carried out in two
other phases until all of the road as far south
as LaBrosse Hill Street is improved. These other
two phases may not be completed until into the
2020's.
One area is a little narrower
With all the widening of the roadway, Mr. Ward
pointed out one area that of necessity would be
narrower. The South Hill Meat and Locker
building and the Napa Auto Parts store both sit
close enough to the roadway, that construction
in that area would have to have a narrower
vegetated buffer strip between the sidewalk and
the highway than the rest of the project. Mr.
Ward further stated that with the wider
Alternative #2, one South Hill building might
possibly need to be taken down or moved--that
would be the Barber Ship building, which was
originally built many years ago as the old Whiz
In Drive-in, at that time a hamburger and
drive-up fast food restaurant.
Reasons for highway upgrade
Several factors are driving this project to
upgrade the South Hill highway. ITD reports that
current roadway widths along the South Hill are
inconsistent. Some areas have a full three lane
configuration, while other areas have a very
narrow center turn lane, or no turn lane at all.
The current highway has no useable shoulders. Much of
this portion of the highway has no sidewalk at
all, and limited sidewalks that are present are
not compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Areas for bicycle travel along
the roadway are inadequate. Stormwater drainage
is inadequate for this roadway.
Further, ITD feels there are too many accidents
along Highway 95 on the South Hill. Their
figures show that from 2011 to 2013, there were
31 collisions, 16 of which were rear-end
collisions, mostly where the rear-ended driver
was making a right turn onto highway approaches.
It is anticipated the proposed highway upgrades
would address and improve all of these issues.
Other possible area highway projects
Asked about the future possibility of a new
highway corridor bypassing Bonners Ferry's
residential and business areas, Mr. Ward
indicated that has been discussed some, but at
present no firm plans are in place beyone merely
a discussions of the issue.
Another idea that has come up in the past is the
possibility of putting in a pedestrian overpass
at Madison Street, making it easier and safer
for children and others to cross the highway in
the busy summer months as they walk to the City
Swimming Pool. Mr. Ward said this idea has
been given some thought, that it has been
discussed informally with the department's
bridge people, and that the idea may possibly
have some merit as plans for the South Hill
highway move ahead. |
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