The Interstate 90 expansion project is becoming a source of irritation for some residents.

Jana Walker’s home on Fairway Drive near the public golf course is less than 100 feet from the highway. She describes the noise as "unbearable."

“My husband and I can hear it throughout the house and it’s hard to sleep at night,” Walker said. “And I found out a few weeks ago, there are no plans to put in a sound barrier when the four lanes go in. This is absolutely terrible.”

The expansion project calls for widening the stretch of highway between Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls to four lanes in both westbound and eastbound directions.

ITD will also be replacing and widening bridges over Huetter Road, Atlas Road and Prairie Trail, as well as realigning and improving adjacent sections of Prairie Trail and the North Idaho Centennial Trail and lengthening existing on- and off-ramps. Work is expected to be completed in 2029.

Walker said she spoke with Coeur d’Alene City Councilman and Mayor-Elect Dan Gookin about the issue. While he sympathized with her, he also said there wasn’t anything he or the city could do about it.

“He said it’s pretty much out of the city’s hands and then suggested I go public with it,” said Walker, who has started a petition calling for a sound barrier.

She also called Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, who put her in contact with Idaho Transportation Department engineer Damon Allen.

"We’ve had several conversations as to why they aren’t putting a noise barrier wall by the stretch of the highway that runs by our neighborhood," she said.

Walker said Allen told her ITD completed a federally required noise analysis for the entire corridor, including the stretch of highway that her and other properties abut, and that it did not meet the reasonability and feasibility thresholds.

Walker added that Allen acknowledged the possibility of additional noise but said there wouldn’t be enough people affected to warrant putting up a sound barrier.

“What he’s not understanding is, the noise isn’t just a problem on my street, it’s a problem for the entire neighborhood surrounding the golf course,” Walker said. “What it really boils down to is money. The noise problem is so bad that the wall would have to be taller than what's called for in the budget."

Allen could not be reached for comment.

Walker’s neighbor, Amy Yardley, said she was also concerned with safety issues, as the only barrier to keep wayward trucks and cars from catapulting onto her property was a small cyclone fence.

“I’m not upset the freeway is here and that it’s expanding,” Yardley said. “I’m upset because of safety and sound issues. If they put up a wall, we wouldn’t have to worry about any of that.”

ITD North Idaho Public Information Officer Heather McDaniel said ITD revisited the noise analysis to confirm the results were accurate and that no data was missed or misinterpreted.

“We understand that traffic noise can affect quality of life, and those concerns are taken seriously," she said. "However, noise wall decisions are governed by federal standards that require us to apply the same criteria consistently so public transportation funds and tax dollars are used equitably across all projects and communities.”

Preliminary estimates compiled in 2022 value the projects at $160 million to $200 million, which includes design, right of way and construction costs, according to ITD.

A 20-foot retaining wall will separate west and east traffic. 

Walker plans to take her concerns up with Gov. Brad Little.

“I’m going to continue to get as many people as possible in the neighborhood and those who live around the golf course to sign our petition, write letters and stuff them in envelopes and send them to Boise,” Walker said. “I, we are not against the expansion of the highway, we just want a wall built to reduce some of the noise. It’s already unbearable. You can’t even hear yourself think.”

Walker mentioned it’s an election year and that the governor would “want people to be happy with him.”

“I know I'm not happy with this; my husband and I can't sleep at night," Walker said. “It’s also devaluing our property. We own this duplex, and one of the homes is a rental unit that we rent to traveling nurses. Nobody's going to rent. Who's going to rent it?"

    Jana Walker's property is less than 100 feet from Interstate 90.