KELLOGG — New year, new construction season. 

The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council wants to be sure the community has an opportunity to learn about some upcoming bridge projects well in advance.

LHTAC will host an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Kellogg Health and Welfare Office, 35 Wildcat Way. 

Information will be provided about three bridge projects in different parts of Shoshone County, which will affect residents and visitors to the area. 

The bridges involved all span the Coeur d'Alene River: the Bunker Avenue Bridge in Kellogg; the Two-Mile Road Bridge near Osburn; and the historic Silver Bridge near Albert's Landing.

All three bridges provide access to different residential communities, but also to recreational opportunities. 

The Bunker Avenue Bridge was built in 1971, and during its most recent inspection, it received near-unanimous “poor” ratings, except for the bridge’s substructure, which was rated “fair.” 

The Two-Mile Road Bridge is five years older than its Kellogg counterpart and has better ratings than the Bunker Avenue, due mainly to recent repairs that had to be completed to make the bridge passable. 

“These rebuilt bridges may take some time, but they will certainly be worth the wait,” city of Kellogg Public Works Director Mike Fitzgerald said. “Our project team is full of skilled professionals who only deliver the best work.”

The historic and even Hollywood-famous Silver Bridge has served as the unofficial gateway to the North Fork area of Shoshone County, but the bridge itself is more decorative than functional at this point. In 2020, the bridge received a 2 out of 9 on its annual inspection and had its load limit reduced to 6,000 pounds, barely enough to allow an empty full-sized pickup truck to traverse it. 

All three bridges will be completely replaced. 

“The reconstruction of these bridges will improve the safety of the local transportation network,”

Shoshone County Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke said. “And these improvements will be a huge benefit for residents and businesses alike.”

The details of these projects will be available at the open house, as well as the project teams who will be directing them. Community members are encouraged to attend to meet the teams and ask questions.