Getting There: Idaho’s Highway 3 dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients

A ceremony dedicating the North Idaho Medal of Honor Highway route will be held at noon Saturday at St. Maries High School.

Idaho Highway 3 from Spalding on the south end to Interstate 90 on the north end was approved by the state as the Medal of Honor Highway in 2011.

Veterans groups completed the project by raising money for signs marking the route.

Two large signs identifying North Idaho’s 13 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor – the highest U.S. honor possible – have been installed at the north and south entrances to the corridor. Smaller signs are posted along the route.

Kevin Gonzales, of the Marine Corps Pappy Boyington Detachment in Coeur d’Alene, said having the scenic route designated for the valor of the 13 recipients is an honor and “a very important distinction” for the community.

Saturday’s event will feature keynote speaker Thomas Norris, of Coeur d’Alene, who accepted the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1976 after the harrowing rescues of two downed airmen in Vietnam in 1972 while serving in the Navy.

The medal recipients date back to the Civil War.

One sign is along the southbound side of Highway 3 just south of Interstate 90. The other sign is on the northbound side of the highway just north of U.S. Highway 12 near Spalding.

Along with Norris, the names of recipients on the sign are Vernon Baker, Army, World War II; Gurdon H. Barter, Army, Civil War; Gregory Boyington, Marines, World War II; John Wesley Conaway, Army, Civil War.

Also, Paul F. Foster, Navy, Mexican-American War;  John H. Hays, Army, Civil War; Charles F. Humphrey, Army, Indian campaigns; Richard M. Longfellow, Army, Philippine Insurrection; Lloyd G. McCarter, Army, World War II.

The others are Francis Oliver, Army, Indian campaigns; Oscar Verner Peterson, Navy, World War II; and Frank S. Reasoner, Marines, Vietnam.

Thor reopens, work moves to Freya

South Thor Street is scheduled to reopen to through traffic this morning from Hartson to 29th avenues after a weekend closure for a stormwater project.

But now, the closure shifts east to Freya Street, which will close to through traffic from Hartson to 29th starting at 6 a.m. That closure will last until the end of August.

Local traffic can access neighborhood areas during the construction, which is in the vicinity of Eighth Avenue.

Thor can be used as the detour route for through traffic while Freya is closed.

The Freya closure will last until the end of August because of a need to make multiple utility improvements.

A new stormwater retention tank has been installed at Underwood Park to the west.

City officials said the closures will likely result in motorists cutting through on residential streets, so extra caution is advised during the closure period.

43rd closed for stormwater work

Elsewhere in the city, 43rd Avenue from Grand Boulevard to Garfield Street is closing today for a 40-day construction period.

The work is part of the citywide group of projects to improve stormwater handling to stop pollution from getting into the Spokane River.

Spokane starts new chip-seal phase

The city is starting a new phase of its residential chip seal pavement repair in which a layer of oil is covered by gravel to seal the underlying pavement.

Areas seeing the work are Regal Street from Francis to Rowan avenues; 33rd through 36th avenues from Grand to Perry Street; and Elm Street from Broadway to Boone avenues.

Also, a repaving project is underway through Thursday on Northwest Boulevard from Lindeke to C streets. One lane remains open in each direction.

Filming activity by North by Northwest will result in a number of street closures this week, mostly in older sections of downtown.

Sealing continues on county roads

In Spokane County, chip sealing is underway on several roadways, including Malloy Prairie, Fancher and Rambo roads.

A detour is in place on Christensen Road north of U.S. Highway 2 for bridge replacement.

Elsewhere, Palouse Highway at 57th Avenue is undergoing installation of left turn lanes and other improvements and repaving is being done south of the intersection to the vicinity of Jamieson Road.

Old Trails and Inland roads west of Riverside State Park are being widened and paved. The route is being closed to traffic starting today.

Valley road restrictions

In Spokane Valley, Houk Road from Mission to Maxwell avenues is closed for road work. The intersection of Houk and Mansfield Avenue has narrowed lanes for utility work.

Also, Sinto Avenue from Pines Road to Houk is closed through late July.

Sullivan Road from Sprague to Mission avenues is down to two lanes in each direction with occasional reductions to one lane from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Sullivan from Wellesley to Trent avenues is down to a single lane in each direction due to paving.

However, full closure is planned starting tonight at 10 on Sullivan from Trent to Wellesley and Wellesley from St. Charles Road to Sullivan. The closure should end about 1 a.m. Tuesday.

The Sullivan bridge replacement project continues with lane restrictions.

State highways see delays for paving

On state highways, Mt. Spokane Park Drive north and east of Bruce Road continues to have traffic delays for paving work. Vehicles are being allowed through construction areas in single-file alternating directions. Delays are likely.

Work continues with traffic restrictions and delays on U.S. Highway 195 at three locations from I-90 south to Pullman.

The state is giving drivers a heads-up that Pines Road at the BNSF mainline track near Trent will be fully closed on July 29 and 30 for repairs.

Outside Spokane, eastbound traffic on the Vantage Bridge over the Columbia River on I-90 is reduced to one lane for painting.

In Stevens County, U.S. Highway 395 from Immel Road to Arden will have single-lane traffic through 3 p.m. today due to pavement repair.

Hourlong rock blasting work will close I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass at 8 p.m. today through Thursday to make way for freeway widening.