Crossing border? Passports needed soon

Ay caramba.

That’s what thousands of would-be Mexico vacationers could be saying come January if they don’t have U.S. passports.

New regulations will require returning Americans to have passports for all air and sea travel from Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada to the U.S. starting Jan. 8, 2007.

Americans traveling over the Canadian and Mexican border by land won’t need passports until Jan. 1, 2008.

The time to get cracking on that passport application, though, is now, said Ellen Marsh with the Spokane County auditor’s office.

“It takes at least six weeks to get a new passport,” she said. And it could take people even longer if they have to hunt down birth certificates, one of the required forms of identification.

For parents, the process could involve additional headaches. All children (that means infants, too) must have passports to travel to those countries by air or sea.

And both parents must apply or single parents must get notarized authorization from the other parent, according to the U.S. State Department.

Spokane County accepts passport applications at its auto licensing center at the Spokane County Courthouse. Applications are also accepted at several area post offices; log on to www.iafdb.travel.state.gov for hours and locations.

The cost for an adult passport is $97. Passports for children 14 and younger are $82.

Tie that load down

The Washington State Patrol is getting serious about stopping people from driving with unsecured loads.

They are asking residents to call 911 with information about lost loads, including the location of the vehicle, the direction of travel, license plate number, roadway and vehicle description.

Lost loads can also be reported at www.wsp.wa.gov by clicking on the “Report Loss of Load” button.

A new law makes it a gross misdemeanor if an unsecured load falls off a vehicle and injures someone, punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and a year in jail.

“Maria’s law” is named for a woman who was seriously injured in 2004 when an entertainment center fell off a trailer on Interstate 405, crashing through her windshield, blinding and disfiguring her.

Two King County men last week became the first people to be charged under the new law.

The two failed to secure a metal shelving unit on the back of a pickup. It fell off, causing a multicar crash on Interstate 5 that killed a man.

Huetter corridor

Citizens have another opportunity this week to tell the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization what they think about its plans for the Huetter corridor.

The KMPO’s draft report, Huetter Corridor Right of Way Needs, details how the area will be developed over the next 20 years to make sure traffic needs are met.

An open house is scheduled for Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Post Falls City Council Chambers, 408 Spokane St., Post Falls.

Slow going

I-90

On Tuesday at 9 a.m., the eastbound Altamont on-ramp and the eastbound Freya exit will be closed and eastbound I-90 will be reduced to two lanes in that area to pave the Freya Street off-ramp and work on the pedestrian bridge over the freeway. Work will continue into the afternoon. On Wednesday, the eastbound Freya on-ramp will be closed at 9 a.m. for paving, with work going into the afternoon.

North Spokane

The Maple Street Bridge will have periodic single lane closures through the end of October for painting and other maintenance work.

Monroe Street is under construction from Francis to Wall. Expect delays.

Rutter Parkway is open with no restrictions, and paving work is complete on Highway 291 near Rutter Parkway. There may be delays for remaining construction items.

Crestline Street is closed from Lincoln Road to Francis Avenue. Lincoln Road is closed from Napa Street to Crestline. Detours are in place. Francis Avenue is narrowed to one lane in each direction at Crestline.

West Dennison-Chattaroy Road is closed to all but local traffic between Highway 395 and Perry Road.

West Plains

Hayford Road is under construction from Highway 2 to Sprague Avenue.

South Spokane

Post Street will be closed downtown Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. between First and Second avenues.

Highway 195 construction continues between Rosalia and Plaza. Expect delays.

The Palouse Highway is under construction near Highway 27. Expect delays.

Bernard Street is closed from 14th Avenue to 29th Avenue. Traffic is detoured to Grand Boulevard and Lincoln Street.

Freya Street reconstruction will close traffic to all but local access from Hartson and 11th Avenue and from 22nd and 29th avenues.