Crash central
BRIAN WALKER/bwalker@cdapress.com | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 4 months AGO
An overpass aimed at improving traffic safety in one of the most dangerous stretches in the region has reached the final design phase, transportation officials said.
The project in the Hauser area will consist of Pleasant View Road crossing over both Highway 53 and the railroad tracks. It will have on- and off-ramps connecting Pleasant View to and from Highway 53 in both directions.
The project, estimated to cost $15 million to construct, will eliminate the intersections of Highway 53 with Pleasant View, Hauser Lake Road and Hollister Hills. The corridor is six-tenths of a mile.
"A big reason for the Pleasant View project is to improve safety at the intersections and eliminate the at-grade rail crossing," said Greg Brands, an Idaho Transportation Department engineer.
From 2006 to 2013 there were 50 total accidents on that stretch of Highway 53, including 20 injury-related accidents and one fatality. While the intersections themselves can be dangerous, Brands said, the crash count includes all causes, including animals or items in the road and unsafe passing or driving conditions.
Once funding for the overpass is identified, the schedule for construction will be determined, Brands said.
"There is no funding identified for construction at this time," he said. "Design is moving forward to come up with a preferred alternative, begin the right-of-way (acquisition) process and move forward with the structural final design."
ITD will hold a public hearing on the design of the project from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, at Hauser City Hall, 11837 N. Hauser Lake Road. There will be displays of the design and an opportunity to ask questions about the project.
A public hearing officer will be available to record oral testimony in a private setting. Written testimony will also be accepted at the meeting.
The preferred design shows the northern end of Pleasant View Road crossing over the railroad tracks and Highway 53 and extending north to a "T" intersection. The west leg of the "T" would connect to Hauser Lake Road by way of a frontage road and the east leg of the "T" will connect to Hollister Hills Drive in a similar fashion.
"The intersection that each of these two roads currently have with Highway 53 will be replaced with one intersection at the north end of the Pleasant View Road extension," Brands said.
The design allows room for a future third railroad track on the north side of the two existing mainline tracks.
The overpass is the second of eight safety projects from the state line to Athol identified in the Bridging the Valley initiative several years ago. The first was the bridge project in Rathdrum which connects Highway 53 and Highway 41.
The Pleasant View project will be similar to the interchange just across the border at Sullivan Road over Highway 290. The Sullivan project was also identified in the Bridging the Valley project.
Once construction begins, the project should be completed in two construction seasons.
If you are unable to attend the hearing and would like to submit written testimony, mail your testimony to Brands at 600 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d'Alene, 83815 or email him at Gregory.Brands@itd.idaho.gov.
Written testimony must be postmarked by Nov. 26 to be considered as part of the official project record.
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