Adding a center turn lane will allow turning drivers an area to safely wait on this two-lane highway in town.
Read MoreThe center turn lane will be added from McGhee Road to Kootenai Bay Road by expanding the highway to the south. Routine drainage improvements will be constructed, and a new path will be added to the north between Main Street and Seven Sisters Drive/Kootenai Bay Road.
View new cross sectionA center turn lane will reduce rear-end crashes and ease congestion caused by drivers waiting for gaps to turn.
ITD analyzed turning counts and projected traffic growth to determine whether any right turn lanes were needed in this section, but data did not support any. At the request of the city, ITD also considered installing a signal at Kootenai Bay Road, but it is not warranted by turning traffic volumes or crash history. Instead, the crosswalk with flashing lights will be maintained with this project.
In 2020, the City of Kootenai received a grant with support from ITD to add a protected shoulder path on the north side of the highway between Main Street and Seven Sisters Drive/Kootenai Bay Road. The paved path will be twelve feet wide and will connect with Railroad Avenue via the crosswalk with flashing lights.
The path will now be constructed with the highway project to simplify construction impacts and secure the best pricing for labor and materials.
Grant applicationDuring three months of construction in 2024, the highway will be reduced to one lane, and traffic will be controlled by temporary signals at either end. Flaggers will stop all traffic as needed to allow trucks to enter and exit the work zone. Side streets will remain open, with traffic at each intersection also controlled by temporary signals.
Throughout the various stages of design, ITD has consulted with the City of Kootenai. Discussions with the city have led to the decisions made about signals and turn lanes, and the partnership will continue with the construction of the grant-funded path.