Getting There: I-90 construction projects ahead in Idaho, Washington

Idaho travelers can expect delays through Interstate 90 this summer. The Idaho Transportation Department is starting or resuming four construction projects beginning this month between Post Falls and Cataldo, according to several news releases and information from project web pages.

ITD encourages motorists to use the free Idaho 511 system available online, by phone or by downloading the Idaho 511 app to stay updated on changing conditions and plan ahead for potential delays.

A few more projects are in store for the freeway in Washington.

Highway 41 interchange

As the state Highway 41 interchange on I-90 nears completion in Post Falls, the westbound I-90 off-ramp is closed through the fall while a new ramp is built. Traffic accessing Highway 41 is detoured to the Seltice Way Interchange at the next exit.

Highway 41 and local roads surrounding the interchange will have lane restrictions while the highway is widened to Mullan Road. Traffic under the I-90 overpass will be closed through mid-April.

Overnight single-lane closures through the work zone on I-90 will be in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through mid-April.

The speed limit through the work zone is 55 mph. The interchange project started in 2022 and is expected to open in 2026.

The project is funded by Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative that invests surplus funds in critical infrastructure and the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation fund established by the Legislature.

Post Falls-Coeur d’Alene lane expansion

Work is expected to begin this summer to widen I-90 to four lanes in each direction for the 5-mile stretch from the Highway 41 interchange to U.S. Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene. The project is anticipated to take four seasons to build, ending in 2029.

Specific traffic impact schedules have not been announced, but construction will involve keeping open two-lane traffic in each direction during daytime hours, narrow shoulder widths, reduced speed limits, ramp closures and short-term detours during bridge construction. The project also will realign and improve adjacent sections of the nonmotorized Prairie Trail and Centennial Trail.

This section of freeway is the most heavily traveled and congested of the I-90 corridor in Idaho, according to ITD.

The project is estimated to cost between $200-210 million and is funded the Leading Idaho initiative.

ITD is in the design phase for a future interchange for I-90 and Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene.

Resurfacing Wolf Lodge to Fourth of July Pass

In late March, ITD will begin resurfacing an 8-mile section from Wolf Lodge over Fourth of July Pass.

Drivers can expect traffic to be reduced to one lane in each direction with reduced speed limits. Intermittent flagging may be necessary at some access ramps.

Work on both eastbound and westbound lanes will be done simultaneously during daytime hours in small, continuous sections. A winter break is scheduled between 2025 and 2026. The project is expected to finish next fall.

The project also will add lighting near the top of Fourth of July Pass, improve the highway drainage system and replace several miles of concrete barrier.

Replacing Coeur d’Alene River bridges

Traffic is down to one lane in both directions near Cataldo as crews begin to replace two bridges over the Coeur d’Alene River. All traffic will shift to the westbound side of the interstate as crews demolish and rebuild the eastbound bridge. Next year, traffic will shift to the new bridge while the westbound bridge is rebuilt. Work will end in late 2026.

The bridges were built in 1964.

Recreational use of the river will be restricted within 500 feet of the bridges throughout the project Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The river will be open during major summer holidays when construction breaks are scheduled. Boat launches outside of the work zone will remain open during the project.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes near the project may be intermittently closed for five- or 10-minute increments on work days.

Vantage Bridge work in central Washington

Meanwhile in Washington, work has resumed on the Vantage Bridge deck replacement for a second season. Traffic is reduced to a single lane in each direction with a lower speed limit and a 9-foot width restriction over the bridge that crosses the Columbia River.

Travelers will face long delays as traffic increases during the warmer months and especially during events at the Gorge Amphitheatre, the Washington State Department of Transportation warned in a news release.

The longest delays tend to be eastbound on Fridays and westbound on Sundays. Alternate routes north through Wenatchee or south through the Tri-Cities are encouraged to bypass the construction area. Because of limited road capacity, Vantage Highway is not a recommended detour.

Work will pause from May 23 to July 8 to accommodate the busy travel season between Memorial Day and Independence Day. The project is scheduled to finish in 2028.

Community discussion planned for North Spokane Corridor connection

The public is invited to review and discuss architectural imagery for North Spokane Corridor’s connection to I-90 Wednesday evening at Liberty Park Library.

This is the final stage of the project to connect I-90 to U.S. Highway 395 with a 10.5-mile north-south freeway through Spokane. The project is expected to begin in late 2025 or spring 2026 and finish in 2030.

Doors at the library’s events room open at 5:30 and a brief presentation will begin at 5:45. The community is welcome to ask questions and share feedback on the artistic imagery designed to reflect the East Central neighborhood’s history and culture, a WSDOT new release said. The meeting is the sixth in a series of discussions held on the third Wednesday of the month through May.