RATHDRUM - Lakes Highway District has made travel safer on Huetter Road in Rathdrum.

Huetter Road's northbound approach to Boekel Road now curves and gradually slopes, where it used to be a straight, steep hill.

Eric Shanley, director of highways for the Lakes Highway District, said it will make winter travel less risky for Huetter Road drivers.

"We have been working with the property owner for years. The grade was so steep on Huetter that cars were sliding into Boekel," Shanley said.

Because Boekel road's speed limit is 50 mph, drivers traveling on Boekel during the icy winter months found it difficult to stop for the cars sliding onto the road from Huetter.

The land west of Huetter is privately owned and was not farmed near the Boekel Road intersection because of the steep grade. The owner worked with Lakes Highway District to resolve the issue.

"The landowner donated the land, and in April we finished the five- to six-week excavation project," Shanley said.

This year's lack of snowfall allowed the highway district to complete the project in March and April.

"Since we essentially had no major snow we were able to allocate snow removal labor towards the Huetter-Boekel project," Shanley said.

He said Lakes Highway District is now considering paving plans for that section of Huetter Road, because the road's rough nature is a year-long travel concern.

"When it doesn't rain for a while, it's hard to grade our gravel roads. In summer, that hill would washboard out," Shanley said. "Fixing this approach is really about overall safety."