Road projects planned in city

By RALPH BARTHOLDT

Staff Writer

Chip seal.

The mere utterance tinkles like the sound of fine stones in wheel wells.

The city’s public works committee on Monday approved a plan to chip seal several streets this summer, which could mean temporary traffic delays and detours.

Public works director Tim Martin said the city’s summer road work plans will kick in soon, although no date has been set for a chip seal project on Ironwood Drive that should be completed in a single day, probably on a Friday, this summer.

The city also plans to chip seal streets in neighborhoods around Canfield Middle School — the city’s northeast quadrant — where neighborhood residents will be apprised as the projects approach.

“Council has repeatedly affirmed road maintenance is a priority,” Martin said. “Over a million dollars is dedicated each year for maintenance, overlay and chip seal programs.”

Poe Asphalt was the chip seal project low bidder with a $660,000 bid that includes chip sealing northeast neighborhoods and Ironwood Drive from Government Way to Northwest Boulevard.

Martin said Poe crews will start the Ironwood work on a Friday morning and complete the job the same day. According to Kootenai Health, Friday is the best time for the work.

“They felt their slowest day was Friday instead of the weekends,” Martin said. “Ironwood won’t be closed, so emergency services can get in there as need be.”

Summer maintenance work is scheduled for Atlas and Ramsey roads, Dalton and Kathleen avenues and North 15th Street, and a resurfacing project for West Canfield, between Ramsey Road and Courcelles, will require removing and replacing the asphalt road surface.

The city’s big projects will continue on Seltice, and Government Way from Hanley to Prairie avenues, city engineer Chris Bosley said.

“We just have Government Way and Seltice going on this summer,” Bosley said. “No new projects for us.”

Waterline projects set for Ramsey Road north of Kathleen Avenue that could cause delays will begin Monday and should be completed the first week of July.