Idaho Street to sport new look in Post Falls
POST FALLS - Idaho Street will get a new look this summer.
The busy street will be widened from 10th Avenue to 15th from four lanes to five. Also, a sidewalk on the west side, street lights and curbs and gutters will be added from 10th to 20th.
The City Council will hear an update on the project tonight.
"It will look a lot like the completed portion of Mullan Avenue," said Rob Palus, assistant city engineer. "This will allow Idaho to handle traffic volumes well into the future."
A sidewalk already exists on the east side of Idaho.
"The sidewalk on the west side will improve pedestrian safety," Palus said.
The project is expected to go out to bid later this month or in early June. Construction on the two- to three-month project will start in July or August, Palus said.
The cost is expected to be less than $1 million and will be paid for with transportation impact fees, Palus said.
Idaho will also have an overlay from 10th to 20th after the other improvements are complete.
With the exception of the overlay portion, Palus said there will be minimal, if any, traffic delays. The biggest inconvenience will be for homeowners in the stretch.
The council will also re-consider improvements to ease traffic congestion in the Seltice Way-Mullan Avenue corridor from Idaho west to the intersection of Mullan and Seltice west of the Slab Inn. The project was tabled from the April 6 meeting.
About $7.1 million in improvements are suggested in the corridor, the subject of a year-long study.
Proposed improvements include:
• widening Spokane Street to six lanes at the I-90 interchange;
• installing traffic signals at the intersections of Spokane-Fourth, Spokane-Mullan, Spokane-Seventh and Seltice-Compton;
• a roundabout at Mullan and Seltice;
• a roundabout or other realignment at Idaho and Fifth;
• utilizing Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues as alternate routes to the Spokane-Seltice intersection; and
• modification of existing signals at Seltice-Spokane and Idaho-Seltice.
Construction may start as early as 2012 and would be done in several phases.
In other business, the council will hear updates on utility rates from Avista's Patty Shea and the 2010 Census from City Planner Garrett Smith.
There are no public hearings.
There will be no council meeting on June 15 because several city managers will be attending the annual Association of Idaho Cities Conference in Boise.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 408 N. Spokane St.