Keep it clean

The Yellowstone Pipe Line is beginning a pipe reroute project in Shoshone County that will eliminate several pipeline crossings of the Coeur d'Alene River.

Working with the Idaho Department of Lands and Shoshone County commissioners, Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC will bury approximately 9 miles of new pipeline under Coeur d'Alene River Road.

Once the new pipeline is in service, the company will purge and clean the old line sections running under the river to ensure there is no material remaining inside. The pipelines will then be permanently sealed.

"Our focus is twofold: keeping people safe during construction and protecting the environment," said Carrie Wildin, maintenance superintendent for Phillips 66, which operates Yellowstone Pipe Line, a 690-mile common carrier refined-product pipeline that originates at the Billings, Mont., refining center and extends to Moses Lake, Wash., with delivery points along the way.

The Coeur d'Alene River project is also designed to preserve and protect the river, Wilden said.

"By cleaning, sealing and leaving the current pipeline in the river, we will not disturb the river bed, or any recreational activities taking place on the river," Wildin said. "This project will eliminate the potential for the river to encroach on the pipeline, particularly in flood plain areas."

The project is slated to begin this week.

"Construction will start farthest up in the Coeur d'Alene River Valley near county road mile marker 13 and work its way down toward Enaville to mile marker 3," said Larry Ostwald, senior adviser for Phillips 66.

"We started after Labor Day to minimize the impact on the community. Construction activities will take place after the tourist season. However, we know that some folks will still be inconvenienced with some of the road closures, so we are asking for their patience as we work through this important project," Ostwald said.

Yellowstone has worked with the Shoshone County commissioners to create a traffic plan that focuses on safety. This project will require single lane closures with escort cars and flaggers for the duration of the job.

Construction is expected to take place Monday through Saturday. Emergency vehicles, school bus traffic and home owners with no alternate way to access their property will be provided escorts through the construction area.

Construction will continue into the winter as long as weather permits. The company expects construction to resume in spring 2015 in order to complete the reroute.

Residents with questions should contact Larry Ostwald, Phillips 66, (406)-441-4746.