Cda Hopes To Avoid Construction Traffic Jams Northwest, Government Way Projects To Proceed Together

Construction plans are proceeding to reinvent how residents get from downtown Coeur d’Alene to sprawling growth to the north.

But there’s a problem.

Officials hope to start projects to reconstruct Northwest Boulevard and widen Government Way in 2001. That could result in commuters stuck in construction delays on two of Coeur d’Alene’s main north-south corridors.

“We are going to work very hard to educate the public in advance of the inconveniences,” said Mayor Steve Judy. “We are trying to get them both done instead of dragging the Northwest Boulevard project out two or three more years.”

City Engineer Gordon Dobler will give a report about the $5.2 million Government Way project at today’s 6 p.m. City Council meeting at City Hall.

Plans call for widening Government Way to four lanes from the Interstate 90 bridge and Appleway Avenue. From Appleway, the road will be widened to five lanes to Dalton Avenue.

The city, which will pay about $350,000 of the $5.2 million project, asked the state about delaying the construction until after Northwest Boulevard is completed.

But the city must use federal funds earmarked for the project or it will lose them, Dobler said.

“There is a time limit on when we have to use those federal funds,” Dobler said. “There is no way we can put the project off a year.”

On the other side of town, the Idaho Transportation Department agreed in January to pay half of the $5 million reconstruction of Northwest Boulevard.

Rodger Lewerenz, city utility services director, said officials want that construction to be completed at about the same time the state finishes the new I-90 interchange at Northwest Boulevard.

“I think the philosophy is to tear it all up at once and get it all done,” Lewerenz said.

“We don’t want people driving off a brand new interchange into a new construction area.”

With few options for delaying either project, Dobler said some solutions can be found in the 18-month construction schedule.

For example, the city can direct a contractor to first move power lines and install underground utilities. That could allow enough time for Northwest Boulevard work to be completed.

Carole Richardson, district transportation planner for ITD, said the state hopes to begin construction of the new I-90 interchange in late May.

To help ease congestion from that two-year project and the Government Way work, the state will add a second lane to the eastbound off-ramp from I-90 onto U.S. 95.

“That new right-hand turn lane is designed to help traffic move through that intersection a little faster,” Richardson said.

“Hopefully in three years it will all be over and we will have peace for a while.”

Once state funding and a construction schedule are worked out for Northwest Boulevard, the city will then be able to work out details to keep traffic flowing.

Dobler acknowledged that regardless of the city’s best efforts, commuters will see delays.

“But when completed, it will really ease north-south traffic flow in the city,” he said.

“Either way, it will really revolutionize transportation in town.”