Shoshone County roads projects moving right along

Road projects are ongoing throughout Shoshone County, and according to Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke, they’re on schedule.  

Beyond just the work dotting Shoshone County’s stretch of Interstate 90, many of the heavily traversed side roads have at least one project in the works. 

A series of safety projects along Coeur d’Alene River Road between Kingston and Murray has made a quick trip up the river take a little longer than normal. In various areas, crews are working to install guardrails and rumble strips along the road, but Stutzke expects the project to be completed by summer’s end.  

Because of potential safety concerns, the project was approved for maximum delays of 30 minutes as work is completed, but even with these expected delays, Stutzke was adamant about keeping the road along the North Fork open during the crucial summer months. 

“I’m not anticipating any road closures along Coeur d’Alene River Road,” Stutzke said. “I instructed the crews to make sure that they keep traffic flowing.”  

On Silver Valley Road, the replacement of the Elk Creek Bridge is being completed. The multimillion-dollar project has a detour that restricts almost anything larger than a passenger vehicle, which has made navigating the county a challenge due to many of the westbound I-90 on ramps between Kellogg and Wallace being closed.  

Stutzke said that she hasn’t received any reports of significant delays in the work being completed and the project is expected to wrap up before the end of the 2024 construction season.  

This is good news for the county, which is preparing for a major paving project on Silver Valley Road from Big Creek to Elizabeth Park. Because of the way the project is funded, it cannot wait until next year, which means staying on schedule is paramount.  

“When it’s time for us to go on this, we got to go,” Stutzke said.