Ignite approves extension to ease Riverstone traffic
This map envisions a new Lacrosse Avenue (in yellow) that would eventually connect with Beebe Boulevard, giving locals more options than a more crowded Northwest Boulevard to access Riverstone. (Courtesy Chris Bosley/City of Coeur d'Alene)
Traffic around Riverstone could feel less maddening to Coeur d’Alene drivers by this time next year.
The ignite cda board approved a proposal that aims to create another access route to Riverstone by extending Lacrosse Avenue, connecting it with Lakewood Drive — a road that will soon connect with Beebe Boulevard, thanks to private development. That means a new through-street will lighten the heavy load of traffic in and around Riverstone.
But while the road will eventually join Lacrosse to Beebe, officials say that long-winded connection is not being built as a replacement for busier streets like Northwest Boulevard.
“The desire is not to have that as a main Riverstone access (route),” said Tony Berns, executive director of ignite cda. “It’ll be open to the public, of course, but that’s not the main reason. The desire is to swing drivers off Lacrosse onto Lakewood to access Riverstone.”
The project will cover more than just the extension of the road. A public parking lot, a sidewalk, landscaping and a traffic signal is part of the package. The plan will also adjust a crosswalk on Beebe, where the crosswalk runs diagonally.
“We’ve gotten many calls (asking), ‘When are you going to fix that? It's dangerous,'” said city engineer Chris Bosley. "And so that was why we arrived at this design with ActiveWest.”
ActiveWest Builders helped work with Bosley to shape the designs. About $1.8 million of the $2 million comes from ignite cda, funding generated from urban renewal. The remaining $234,500 will come from the city for sewer extensions, water line extensions and stormwater modifications.
Board member Brad Jordan, while vetting the project, voiced concerns about the costs, particularly with a street with narrow points along its stretch.
“It seems like a lot of money for this intersection that isn’t going to carry that much traffic,” he said. “… The street seems so narrow. Is that intersection going to help a lot, with that small of a street it’s feeding into there?”
Bosley said the width of a street doesn’t directly dictate the amount of traffic but does impact speed limits. A 2018 traffic study done through ignite’s Atlas Mill project found that connecting Lacrosse should be a priority, though ignite’s funding does not use Atlas Mill money to pay the $1.8 million.
Jordan and the rest of the ignite board voted unanimously to approve the package. The design process will carry through the fall, and the matter will come up for City Council approval before bidding begins. If approved, crews will likely break ground in the spring, with construction to be completed by the end of summer.