COEUR d'ALENE — Improvements to Mullan Road, which has been renamed Fort Grounds Drive in the Four Corners area of Coeur d'Alene were completed Tuesday.

But the motoring public will have to wait until September to drive on the new road.

Funded primarily by ignite cda, the city's urban renewal agency, the $1.5 million construction project rebuilt the road from Garden Avenue to Northwest Boulevard, as well as laid the foundation for future plans to transform the Four Corners area into one focused on outdoor activity and recreation. Sam Taylor, Coeur d'Alene deputy city administrator, said city officials decided to keep posts, which prevent motorists from accessing the road at the intersection of Fort Ground and Northwest, in place until after Labor Day weekend.

"Our initial plan was to remove them and only place them up during events to encourage folks to go to special events and what not," Taylor said. "(But) we thought it might be too confusing or annoying for motorists who might not know the schedule events and get caught off guard finding them there."

Having the road closed to vehicle traffic from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Taylor said, establishes a standard and stresses the concept of the Four Corners area as one predominantly for pedestrians. The posts, he added, will be removed in the winter and fall to allow for vehicles.

"Thanks to a lot of improvements that have already been done to the education corridor, there is plenty of access to that area from other points," Taylor said. "This really is about place-making and encouraging folks to get out of vehicles and enjoy the area."

One of the biggest components of the revamped Four Corners area, according to Taylor, will be the inclusion of the Playland Pier carousel. Cari Fraser, of the Coeur d'Alene Carousel Foundation, told The Press Tuesday although the building which will eventually house the classic carousel is under construction, the project is going slower than expected.

"There was a major engineering change that had to be made based on the fact that the carousel building itself is a wide-open space with a wide ceiling and beams," Fraser said, adding the engineering change will add $40,000 in unanticipated costs to the project.

The foundation, Fraser added, expects the carousel to be open for business in the spring of 2017 on a full-time basis. She also hopes the foundation can host a preview event to show residents and supporters how the carousel will look and operate.

Fraser added the foundation is still in fundraising mode, and is focusing on getting both individuals and businesses to purchase a porcelain tile that will be etched and placed on the floor of the building. The tiles, which come in three sizes, can have messages etched on them.

"They will tell the story of the carousel and the community," Fraser said.

For city officials, the Fort Ground Drive improvements are just phase one in the ongoing plan for Four Corners. Taylor said the next steps for the city, as well as its community partners, is to determine which features the community would like to see in the area, as well as what types of improvements are needed at Memorial Field.

Once the plan is formulated, Taylor said, officials will begin seeking funding for the improvements and additional features.

"It's no longer going to be just Memorial Field," Taylor said. "It's a brand new park setting that's really going to change the way people see that area."