The Idaho Transportation Department will pay nearly $390,000 to acquire property along U.S. 95 near Athol from two separate owners to complete widening and improvements to the highway.

According to judgments filed last week in 1st District Court in Kootenai County, ITD will pay $202,000 to Frederick and Rachel Kasnick and $185,000 to Jameson Mortgage Co., an Idaho corporation.

The department will get nearly 5 acres from the Kasnicks. The department will get approximately 4 acres from Jameson Mortgage. There are other considerations as part of the settlements, including concluding the court cases and avoiding trials.

Court documents said the property is for public use and "located in a manner most compatible with the greatest public good and the least private injury."

In both cases, ITD "sought in good faith" to purchase the properties, the documents said.

At first ITD and the parties in both cases couldn't reach sale agreements. Condemnation proceedings were started by ITD and the sides in both cases eventually reached agreements.

"This is a reasonable settlement from ITD's perspective and allows the department to conclude the matters and move ahead on its construction project," said Mary York, an appointed special deputy attorney general representing ITD. "Once (the highway project is) done it's going to be so much safer."