Adjusting sharp curves will improve safety.
In 2023 and 2024, one mile will be reconstructed near the lake to make turns easier for drivers and to elevate the highway where it dips down to the water. Elevating US-95 will also allow wildlife to pass underneath to access the refuge.
Read MoreFollowing the June 2019 public meeting, all comments were reviewed for possible incorporation.
ITD produced a FAQ to summarize efforts to address most comments, which centered on additional features for wildlife.
July 2019 FAQSafety improvements to US-95 near McArthur Lake were originally identified for design in the early 2000s due to crashes associated with wildlife and icy conditions. The project was removed from the program due to high costs, allowing ITD to address other needs in the area.
Although construction funding was never identified, ITD worked with partners to implement other available options while addressing different safety needs. ITD worked with Idaho Fish and Game to remove brush, improving drivers’ ability to see wildlife near the road. A new turn lane was also striped for those turning left onto McArthur Lake Road.
Funding for safety improvements is limited, meaning ITD must rank projects to put it to the best use. Crashes indicate areas in need of changes. Following a fatal crash in 2016, funding for this area was identified and design began again.
The south end of the new bridge will be shifted to the east approximately 50 feet, but the north end will not move. During construction, traffic is planned to run on temporary lanes to the west.
ITD is working with Idaho Fish and Game and the Kootenai Tribe to develop plans, including the likely installation of wildlife fencing to encourage animals to pass underneath the new structure once built.
The current design does not include plans to improve the Shiloh Loop and McArthur Lake Road, unlike earlier plans, to reduce construction costs.
June 2019 open house displaysIn late June 2021, experts began archeological data recovery excavations near the WMA to recover cultural materials associated with peoples of the past who used this area as part of their seasonal rounds. Excavations will be completed in August and will not impact the highway or access to the WMA.
This work is a result of a federal process designed to identify and consult with interested parties regarding project that could affect historic properties.
ITD takes pride in being an environmental steward and works to avoid, minimize or mitigate impacts to these resources that are important to all Idahoans; for this project, ITD has partnered with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho to mitigate impacts to historic properties on traditional homelands.
Work from June to August in 2021 will recover cultural materials associated with peoples of the past who used this area as part of their seasonal rounds and is the next step toward construction.