WALLACE — After years of wear and tear and detour traffic, Silver Valley Road is finally getting a facelift. 

Last week, Shoshone County commissioners approved approximately $87,000 for a full striping project across all county-maintained sections of the road, along with fog sealing for a key stretch between Wallace and Osburn. 

The road has long been a priority, said Shoshone County Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke. But recent Idaho Transportation Department projects rerouted heavy traffic onto Silver Valley Road, making it difficult for the county to justify spending its limited funds on maintenance. 

“We’ve been talking for a very long time about the need for stripes on Silver Valley Road, particularly out between Wallace and Osburn,” Stutzke said. “Now we’re doing it.” 

The county solicited bids for the project but received only one, from Spokane-based Arrow Concrete & Asphalt Specialties. Striping the road from one end of the county to the other will cost $72,688. 

In addition, the stretch of road between Wallace and Osburn, which expands up to four lanes, will be fog sealed for $14,643. Fog sealing involves applying a layer of asphalt emulsion to protect and refresh the road surface. While not as durable as chip or slurry sealing, it’s a more affordable option that still extends the road’s lifespan. 

“Ideally, I would have liked to chip seal, but that wasn’t happening before the end of the fiscal year,” Stutzke said. “The fog seal will buy us some time.” 

With a potential 40% budget cut looming, Stutzke acknowledged this may be the county’s last opportunity to perform any maintenance on the road for the foreseeable future. 

“We’re not going to have this option next year,” she said. 

Because of those financial constraints, the project is scheduled to begin soon and must be completed before the start of Fiscal Year 2026 on Oct. 1.