Getting There: Highway 53 interchange near Hauser will bypass rail crossings

Construction on state Highway 53 is leading to traffic backups for a detour route on the north end of Rathdrum Prairie near the Washington state line.

Pleasant View Road to Prairie Avenue is closed while crews build an interchange that when complete will connect to Hauser Lake Road and eliminate three railroad crossings. During construction, traffic from Pleasant View Road is routed west along Prairie Avenue to access the highway.

A line of vehicles stretching nearly half a mile inched along the side road during rush hour Wednesday afternoon as they waited for an opening to turn onto the highway.

Then a BNSF Railway train whistled through as it crossed Prairie Avenue, blocking the traffic and causing further delay.

The Idaho Transportation Department is working with BNSF Railway to coordinate a temporary traffic signal at Prairie Avenue and the highway to facilitate the detour traffic. Signals at the three-way intersection have been installed, but the railroad needs to implement additional infrastructure to synchronize the signal cycle with the train crossing before the signals are activated, ITD spokeswoman Heather McDaniel said.

There is no estimate for when the signal will be active, McDaniel said. ITD installed the signals with the understanding that it would be some time before they could be activated.

“Coordination of the signal with the trains is essential to ensure the safety of drivers and trains alike,” McDaniel said.

BNSF did not respond to a request for comment.

When the project is complete around the summer of 2026, Prairie Avenue and McGuire Road will no longer have access to the highway. Traffic will have to use the interchange via Pleasant View Road to merge onto the highway.

On the north side, connector roads will link Hauser Lake Road and Hollister Hills Road to the interchange, removing the direct access they have now.

Highway 53 will be widened to two lanes in each direction with a new center median through the project limits. The project will enhance safety and efficiency through the rapidly growing corridor, according to ITD. By avoiding the rail crossings, the interchange will eliminate delays and improve emergency access.

The highway will mostly stay open during construction, with reduced speeds and intermittent lane closures as needed. Work will typically be done during daylight hours.

Barricades at the Prairie Avenue and Beck Road intersection prevent left turns to and from both streets. Northbound drivers on Beck Road need to turn right on Prairie Avenue and do a full rotation at the roundabout to access the highway from westbound Prairie Avenue. Westbound drivers on Prairie Avenue need to find an alternative route to access southbound Beck Road.

The project was partly funded by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program that was created to improve safety at rail crossings across the country. Additional contributions were made by BNSF Railway and Post Falls Highway District.

The interchange is part of a series of projects improving the Highway 53 corridor between the state line and Rathdrum.

This spring ITD is finishing a lane expansion in Rathdrum, where the right turn lane is closed at the intersection of Highway 53 and Highway 41 north of the railroad tracks. Northbound traffic on Highway 53 will make all movements from the one through-lane during construction. The work is anticipated to finish in May.

A project adding a center lane along 4 miles between Bruss Road and Latah Street is planned to start construction in 2029. Another project to rebuild the roadway base and add a center lane and turn lanes from the state line to Hauser Lake Road is expected to begin in 2030.