KMPO board seeks input
The public will get another chance to weigh in on proposals for unclogging traffic on U.S. Highway 95 north of Coeur d’Alene that would create a new highway and bypass using either the Huetter Road corridor or Greensferry Road.
Last week, the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization, the group organized to tackle the county’s transportation planning needs, voted to solicit ideas again from the public for solving the U.S. 95 traffic conundrum. KMPO has been studying ways to increase capacity or create an alternate route from Interstate 90 to State Highway 53, and wants comments on the Huetter and Greensferry road alternatives.
The proposed Huetter Corridor would run from the Huetter rest area to the intersection of U.S. 95 and Highway 53 to the north. The route would follow the existing Huetter Road and the Union Pacific/Spokane International Railroad right of way. The proposed Greensferry Alternative would follow the existing Greensferry Road north and then follow the same route along the railroad right of way to U.S. 95.
The idea of Huetter Road becoming a north-south corridor was first considered and adopted in the Kootenai County Area Transportation Team’s plan in 1997. The plan, and subsequent studies, concluded the U.S. 95 and Highway 41 corridors would not be able to handle the increased volume of traffic brought on by rapid growth in the region without either an alternative route or additional capacity improvements along U.S. 95.
The KMPO board in 2000 recommended an additional highway be built to reduce the traffic on U.S. 95 between I-90 and Highway. 53 and began a public involvement process. It also recommended a short-term goal of preserving right-of-way along the corridor, and a long-term goal of constructing a high-speed roadway along existing U.S. 95 or an alternate route.
About 1 1/2 years ago, KMPO hired consultants Ruen-Yeager and Associates to conduct the Huetter Road Corridor study, said project manager Christine Fueston.
After receiving the study last November, the KMPO board chose to ask for a comparison of a Greensferry Alternative.
“Greensferry was considered,” Fueston said, “because it had been suggested by the public and the city of Post Falls was looking at Greensferry as part of their local circulation needs.”
The resulting Greensferry Alternative comparison study, including cost and impact comparisons, was presented at last week’s KMPO meeting, prompting the board to once again seek public input before their final adoption of one of the alternatives.
At the same meeting, the board’s advisory partner, the Kootenai County Area Transportation Team, recommended the adoption of the earlier Huetter study, saying the Huetter option would have fewer adverse impacts on residential areas, schools and retail establishments; and require less property acquisition.
According to figures presented by KCATT, the Greensferry Alternative would impact 694 parcels and 3,080 acres, while the Huetter Corridor would impact 399 parcels and 2,514 acres. As a result, the Greensferry Alternative was projected to cost 54 percent more than the Huetter Corridor.
The study also outlined 10 concerns the Greensferry Alternative would raise, including higher costs for rights of way, impact to businesses and schools, and interchange spacing conflicts with I-90, while the Huetter Corridor was listed as having only three of those same concerns.
Both the proposed Huetter Corridor and Greensferry Alternatives will be controlled access facilities, designed for 60 mph travel with grade separated (overpass) intersections at important connections, including U.S. 95, Lancaster Road, Wyoming Avenue, snd Hayden and Prairie avenues. Both alternatives include a limited-access frontage road and pedestrian/bike paths.
Once the KMPO board has received and considered a report of public input, members will have the option of requesting more study or voting to accept either alternative. The plan will then be presented to member agencies – highway districts, cities, Idaho Transportation Department and the county for consideration of adoption into their planning instruments. There is currently no timeline for construction.