Centennial Trail section closed

COEUR d’ALENE — A section of the North Idaho Centennial Trail just off Interstate 90 between Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls is scheduled to be closed through October.

A detour has been established for those using the popular trail that stretches 23 miles from Higgens Point 6 miles east of Coeur d’Alene to the Idaho/Washington state line.

The closure is necessary for water line work, according to the city of Coeur d’Alene.

The first phase of the project was completed last year with a transmission line from the Atlas well down Atlas Road to I-90.

The second phase is the current project behind Coeur d’Alene Honda. An 18-inch transmission line paralleling I-90 up to the north side of Riverstone Drive along Seltice Way will be installed.

The trail is closed starting near the Riverstone Transit Center, heading west, to Atlas Road.

“This will help distribute water from high-producing wells that are over the aquifer to the downtown area,” wrote Kyle Marine of the city’s Water Department, in a message to The Press.

The project started in August and is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 1.

The original awarded contract price was $890,713.50 to LaRiviere, Inc.

As there is a detour to Seltice Way, with users able to reconnect with the Centennial Trail at Atlas Road, it’s more of an annoyance than a roadblock. But there have been inquiries as to why the trail was closed.

Tabitha Kraack, North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation executive director, spread word of the trail closure to its members via social media and monthly emails.

She said while they prefer to keep the trail open, the project required its temporary closure.

“It’s something we couldn’t avoid,” she said.