POST FALLS - The Post Falls City Council is expected to award Knife River Construction the bid for the Idaho Street widening project during a special meeting on Friday.

Knife River's bid for the project, approved by the council earlier for construction this summer, was $696,188.65. The engineer's estimate was $898,414.

Staff is recommending that the council approve the bid in an amount not to exceed $765,807.52, which includes a 10 percent contingency for the project.

"Once again, the construction bidding environment was fortuitous for the city even as we are in the thick of construction season," City Administrator Eric Keck wrote to the council in a memo.

The entire cost of the project will be covered by the city's transportation impact fee fund that has contemplated and collected fees for the improvements.

The busy street will be widened from 10th Avenue to 15th from four lanes to five. Also, a sidewalk on the west side, street lights and curbs and gutters will be added from 10th to 20th. Idaho will also have an overlay from 10th to 20th after the other improvements are complete.

The city hoped a roundabout at Idaho and Poleline would be completed with the project, but the developer of the Fieldstone subdivision is not ready for construction, Keck said. As such, the city's improvements will stop short of Poleline and will be made when the roundabout moves forward in the future.

With the exception of the overlay portion, city officials said there will be minimal, if any, traffic delays. The biggest inconvenience will be for home-owners in the stretch.

In other business, the council is expected to approve a home style change request for the Tullamore planned unit development off Highway 41.

Rather than constructing 28 row homes on two acres, Morgan Cole Construction hopes to build 19 single-family homes or cottages instead due to market conditions.

The meeting is being held because Tuesday's council meeting was canceled due to city staff and officials attending the Association of Idaho Cities' summer meeting in Idaho Falls. It will also expedite the projects on the agenda.

Friday's meeting starts at 8 a.m. at 408 N. Spokane St. There are no public hearings.