Traffic light improvements at CDA’s worst interchange

Although crews will begin working on signals along Northwest Boulevard and Ramsey Road, traffic at Coeur d’Alene’s busiest intersections will not grind to a trickle this week.

That is because most of the work will take place at night.

Any delays at several traffic lights will be a short-term inconvenience because new technology being added to the series of lights will enhance circulation this summer, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.

“It’s going to improve the traffic flow,” transportation department spokesperson Megan Sausser said.

The state and the city of Coeur d’Alene entered into an agreement last year to improve street light coordination near the I-90 interchange that has been a bottleneck for more than a decade.

The intersections are expected to be further impacted by development on the Seltice Way corridor.

That is why the city, state and ignite cda pitched in more than $400,000 to upgrade the synchronization of the lights from Lakewood Drive to Golf Course Road including signals at Ironwood Drive, Appleway and at all of the I-90 Interstate ramps, Sausser said.

In the past, the state was in charge of the lights dictating traffic on the I-90 ramps, while the city synchronized its lights at the other junctions.

“Everyone was on different technology and it was impossible to coordinate that traffic flow,” Sausser said.

The improvements will get all the lights on the same system, she said.

“With this project, all of the signals will operate on the same technology and provide us with control from our signal shop,” City Engineer Chris Bosley said

The goal is to coordinate all the lights from downtown to Prairie Avenue at the city’s north end, Bosley said.

According to the latest agreement, the state will turn over control of its six, I-90 lights to the city and pay $175,000 to improve them with compatible technology.

Drivers should expect delays from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at Northwest Boulevard to Ramsey Road interchanges through this week, Sausser said.

“Traffic will not be impacted during the day, but at night the signals will go into flash mode and should be treated as four-way stops,” Sausser said.

Some lanes will be closed as signals are temporarily turned off.