All aboard! Brunner Road railway crossing project funded
CAROLYN BOSTICK | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 2 months AGO
Carolyn Bostick has worked for the Coeur d’Alene Press since June 2023. She covers Shoshone County and Coeur d'Alene. Carolyn previously worked in Utica, New York at the Observer-Dispatch for almost seven years before briefly working at The Inquirer and Mirror in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Since she moved to the Pacific Northwest from upstate New York in 2021, she's performed with the Spokane Shakespeare Society for three summers. | January 18, 2025 1:05 AM
A major safety upgrade is coming to Brunner Road, thanks to a $14.5 million federal grant that will eliminate a dangerous railway crossing by building an overpass and roundabout.
Lakes Highway District won the funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration to tackle the rural crossing, where trains frequently intersect with local traffic. The project will raise Brunner Road by nearly 24 feet to pass safely over the BNSF Railway tracks.
The planned improvements include a new roundabout, bridge and realigned roadway that will better connect the area's network of roads. The design was chosen for its cost-effectiveness and minimal impact on surrounding properties. Most of Brunner Road will remain open during construction, though some detours may be needed on Diagonal and Clagstone roads.
The project builds on groundwork laid by the 2006 Bridging the Valley Project, which studied traffic patterns between Spokane and Athol to improve safety along the rail corridor. Lakes Highway District had previously prepared for future improvements by purchasing land along the south side of Brunner Road.
The funding comes through the national Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, which aims to make rail crossings safer for both vehicles and pedestrians across the country.
Info: www.lakeshighwaydistrict.com
Cars wait to be able to pass at the Brunner Road railroad crossing.
Area map for Brunner Road railroad crossing projectARTICLES BY CAROLYN BOSTICK
'Bad actors' bill fails again
Aimed at protecting home, business owners
After high hopes this legislative session, lobbyist Ken Burgess said that the state bill intended to create protections against unscrupulous contractors won’t be moving on.
Students pitch future professions at reverse job fair
Students pitch future professions at reverse job fair
Ranging from criminology to cosmetology, Post Falls high school students pitched professions that sparked their interest during the reverse job fair on Wednesday at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls.
Kootenai Health, MultiCare celebrate Prairie Medical Campus groundbreaking
Kootenai Health, MultiCare celebrate Prairie Medical Campus groundbreaking
Although hundreds in attendance gathered at the site on Tuesday for the Prairie Medical Campus for a literal groundbreaking, Kootenai Health CEO Jamie Smith pointed out that the project also fulfilled the figurative definition by being new and innovative. “This campus is going to be a gamechanger for the region,” Smith said.