The Clearwater River crossings at Spalding Bridge and Arrow Bridge are important regional connections for drivers including the trucking and logging industries.
Read More Here!Overview
Proposed changes to the US-95 and US-12 bridges over the Clearwater River would improve traffic flow and enhance safety for present and future users as they cross the Clearwater River at U.S. Highway 95 and U.S. Highway 12 east of Lewiston.
Both bridges and their associated highway intersections require improvements to meet current design and safety standards and provide updated bridges to last for many years to come. Each bridge has a unique environmental study underway evaluating improvements and considerations including wetlands, cultural and historical resources, right of way, noise, and fisheries. Detailed design and construction will follow the study.
Spalding Bridge
Spalding Bridge is approximately 9 miles east of Lewiston on US-95 at milepost 304 and was built in 1962. ITD is proposing to replace the existing narrow bridge with dual bridges, creating two lanes of traffic in each direction with improved lane and shoulder widths. Additionally, ITD is making operational and safety improvements at the US-95 and US-12 interchange.
View flyerArrow Bridge
Arrow Bridge is approximately 13 miles east of Lewiston on US-12 at milepost 15 and was built in 1972. ITD is proposing to replace the existing bridge with a new two-lane bridge with wider lanes and shoulders. Additionally, ITD is planning to reconfigure the nearby US-12 and SH-3 intersections to enhance traffic flow and improve safety between the two highways.
View flyerSafety Benefits
These bridges were built over 50 years ago, and they need to be upgraded to meet current and future traffic needs. In addition, widening the bridges will improve traffic flow. Other improvements, such as improved shoulder widths, smoother curves, increased sight lines, and dedicated turn lanes will enhance the overall safety for users of these bridges.
Timeline
The environmental studies of the Clearwater Crossings at Spalding and Arrow projects started in late 2021. The goal of each study is to ultimately secure an approved National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document. This approval will allow ITD to make improvements to the bridges and nearby intersections after considering the environmental impacts and input from the public, stakeholders, and partners.
If NEPA documents are approved, funding will need to be identified and secured to advance the projects to detailed design and then construction. Pending NEPA approval, detailed designs may start in 2024, and construction may start as early as 2025 and take multiple construction seasons. During construction of the new structures, the existing bridges would remain open to vehicles.
Community Involvement
Public input will help shape a community-appropriate solution. Opportunities will be available for the public, stakeholders, and partners to provide input at key milestones.
To stay up to date on the projects and learn about future input opportunities, sign up for email updates on this site, or reach out to the team at [email protected].
Funding
These studies are being funded with Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds as part of Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. The program allows ITD to accelerate project timelines to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise take many years to fund and build.
Funding for the future design and construction of these bridges will be determined based on project readiness and funding availability. For more information on the TECM program, visit itd.idaho.gov/funding.
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