Eye on the future
<p>Traffic moves along Highway 41 in Post Falls on Tuesday. The Highway 41 Corridor Master Plan is being updated through a collaboration between the Idaho Transportation Department, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization, Kootenai County, City of Post Falls, City of Rathdrum, Post Falls Highway District and Lakes Highway District. The KMPO has been working with the jurisdictions on land use updates for future zoning categories and densities. The original plan was developed in 2002 and has not been updated since.</p>
POST FALLS - While planners are taking another look at the future of the Highway 41 corridor between Post Falls and Rathdrum, widening part of the busy stretch doesn't appear likely for several years.
"At present, ITD (Idaho Transportation Department) does not have a stated long-range plan for improving Highway 41 to four lanes ... ," said Don Davis, ITD District 1 senior transportation planner.
However, ITD is participating with the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization (KMPO), the cities of Post Falls and Rathdrum and Post Falls and Lakes highway districts to update the 2002 Highway 41 Corridor Master Plan place widening Highway 41 on the state's list of priority projects.
"ITD intends on developing a long-range improvement plan as part of, or at least in concert with, the Corridor Master Plan update," Davis said.
Bonnie Gow, KMPO senior transportation planner, said traffic and intersection data has been collected from the corridor and will be rolled into the updated plan. She said the stretch handles an average of 18,000 vehicles a day.
"We had turning movement counts collected at Highway 41 intersections throughout the corridor in order to update the intersection analysis in the plan," Gow said. "We won't have detailed information until the intersection analysis is completed by ITD. That analysis is anticipated to be completed by the end of March.
"We have been working with the jurisdictions on land-use updates for future zoning categories and densities."
The first of two or three open houses on the plan is scheduled to be held in April on a date to be determined. Public comments from the open houses will be incorporated into the plan, which is expected to be completed in July.
A recommendation on the plan will be made by the Kootenai County Area Transportation Team (KCATT). The KMPO board will then consider the plan.
Gow said the original intent of the plan - envisioning compact mixed uses throughout the corridor - is being maintained.
"That is the only scenario we are focusing on," she said.
An updated map for pedestrian facilities will be included in the corridor plan, Gow said.
The original corridor study was 6 miles from Interstate 90 at Post Falls to just north of Lancaster Road. The study limits in the update have been expanded to include Rathdrum, expanding the project length to 7.9 miles from I-90 to Highway 53.
Brett Boyer, Rathdrum city administrator, said the city is pleased that Rathdrum will be included in the update.
"People from all over the area who work here use Highway 41 to get to Interstate 90," he said.
The Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) and North Idaho College's professional-technical building, which will be built this year, are other examples of what draw traffic to Highway 41 in the Rathdrum area.
"It is critical to the safety of drivers and efficient movement of vehicles that Highway 41 be widened and many other improvements be made through the whole corridor from Interstate 90 through Rathdrum," Boyer said. "To get projects on the state plans, we need to have the plan updated."