Fourth Street plan includes roundabouts at Dalton and Prairie intersections

COEUR d’ALENE — A big multi-city project is likely coming down the road, and that road is Fourth Street.

Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens and Hayden have plans to engage in a multi-million-dollar project that will improve Fourth Street from Dalton to Prairie avenues and install roundabouts in those intersections.

The majority of the construction will occur in Dalton Gardens, but because of its boundary lines with its neighbors, the project affects Hayden to the north and Coeur d'Alene to the south and west where two legs of the intersection are in Coeur d'Alene city limits. Coeur d'Alene High School is located on the southwest corner with Pacifica Senior Living on the southeast corner.

"We all got together and talked and we thought it would be a great idea," Dalton Gardens Mayor Steve Roberge said Thursday. "(Dalton) is paying for half on each side. We're paying for everything on Fourth Street and half of each roundabout."

Roberge said the project is estimated to cost about $4 million with each city required to pay a percentage; Dalton Gardens, however, will be footing the lion's share of the bill.

Dalton Gardens, in conjunction with Coeur d'Alene and Hayden, submitted an application for federal grant funding to the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization. At a Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting in February, a resolution unanimously passed in support of the application for Surface Transportation Program (STP) Urban funding for this project, with the city determining federal funds and public support of this project are in the best interests of the city.

"It will benefit everybody," said Coeur d'Alene city engineer Gordon Dobler, who brought the topic before the council in a public works committee staff report. "I think that when we say 'the people of Coeur d'Alene,' they drive on streets in the county; people from Coeur d'Alene drive up Fourth."

In the financial analysis of the staff report, Coeur d'Alene's estimated share of the sponsor match would be proportionate to the cost of improvements within city limits, anywhere from $35,000-$45,000. This would be due when the project is funded, which is anticipated to be in the 2021-2022 timeframe. The funds would come from impact fees.

Along with the roundabouts, this project also proposes adding bike lanes and sidewalks to the 1.5-mile stretch of road.

Dobler said the proposed roundabouts will increase capacity while reducing traffic conflicts.

Roberge, who lives adjacent to the roundabout at Hanley Avenue and Fourth, said about 8,000 cars drive that road every day, and he has seen firsthand the positive impacts a roundabout can have on an intersection.

"It used to be cars would back up all the way to my house," he said. "People should be very happy with it. You shouldn't see cars back up anymore, and if they did it would be rare."

Hayden Mayor Steve Griffitts agreed the roundabouts are a good idea.

"I think, especially at certain times of the day when school is out and again after 5, we won't have the bottlenecks at those stop signs," he said. "We'll be able to expedite traffic in a much better way."

Melissa Cleveland, a project manager for Welch Comer Engineers, which serves as Dalton Gardens’ contract engineer, said the size and effect of the roundabouts would be similar to the one at Hanley and Fourth.

"On both locations (Prairie and Dalton), we probably have an opportunity to lessen the impact on the residents by pushing things one way or another," she said, referring to how it would be ideal to utilize the spaciousness of those areas without encroaching on someone's yard. "There was a pretty minor right-of-way take at the corners ... It’s likely that the cities would support having the least impact to the residents as they could."

Griffitts said he is happy to partner with Dalton Gardens and Coeur d'Alene to improve Fourth, which is used by residents of each community.

"This is a great opportunity to create wonderful efficiencies and to reduce the cost to the cities," he said. "The cool part is, we can all bid together on the project and yet we’re only responsible for a fraction of the project.

"We get a much cleaner, leaner and professional project as we've combined our resources."

Roberge said once the funding is approved, planning would start next year and citizens will have plenty of notice and opportunities to attend open houses, voice concerns and ask questions.

"Fourth Street needs to be totally rebuilt," Roberge said. "All of the councils have agreed to do this project, all councils approved it.

"It's a great project."