Beck Road interchange eyes Black Friday opening

With the dry weather, local highway projects are gaining ground on completion before fall sets in.

Traffic should be able to access Cabela's and Wal-Mart in Post Falls from Interstate 90 via the Beck Road interchange by Black Friday.

"We have erected the bridge girders over I-90 and the new ramps are progressing," said Brandon Squire, project manager for Ralph L. Wadsworth.

Squire said the Beck Road access to Seltice Way won't be completed until spring. The entire project is expected to be completed in June.

"The project's construction has been going smooth with limited delays to traffic experienced on the interstate," said Robert Palus, Post Falls' assistant city engineer.

Palus said Wadsworth continues to work with the Centennial Trail Commission on improving the trail in the construction zone.

Two other major Post Falls projects - a roundabout at Poleline and Idaho and improvements to Mullan Avenue west of Spokane Street - are on schedule, Palus said.

The roundabout is expected to be completed by the end of October. Bike trail paving is done and concrete for the sidewalk in the area is being poured. The island for the roundabout is about to be formed.

With Mullan Avenue, pegged to be completed by mid-October, paving is slated for next week. Mullan is being rehabilitated to include a new road, sidewalks and gutters in front of the future Boys and Girls Club.

Meanwhile, work proceeds on U.S. 95 improvements from Garwood to Sagle.

The Chilco-Silverwood portion, scheduled for completion in fall 2013, reconstructs 6.5 miles from two lanes to four, adds 6.5 miles of frontage road on the east side, 1.5 miles of frontage road on the west and adds two interchanges. Asphalt paving is under way.

The Athol-Granite Hill portion, scheduled for completion in 2014, reconstructs five miles from two lanes to four and adds an interchange at Highway 54. All sub-structure work has been completed with the Athol interchange. The embankment work is nearing completion.

On the Rathdrum bridge replacement project that will connect Highway 41 and Highway 53, the low bidder announced this week was Sletten Construction of Great Falls, Mont., with a bid of $4.88 million.

Justin Wuest of the Idaho Transportation Department said the state will not know whether construction will start this year until the contract is awarded, which may take a few weeks. However, the start will likely be in the spring.

The new bridge, which will take about two years to complete, will have four vehicle lanes with a sidewalk on both sides. The current bridge - built in 1936 - has two driving lanes and a 5-foot bike-pedestrian path.