WALLACE — A 23-mile stretch of road between Avery and Calder could be in line for improvements.

The St. Joe River Road, which begins in Benewah County, leaves St. Maries and follows the river until it crosses back into Shoshone County as the main access for the southern portion of the county. 

According to both Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke and Shoshone County Commissioner Jeff Zimmerman, parts of that road are in bad shape and Zimmerman would like to see some federal funds spent rehabilitating it.  

“I know we have some funds available,” Zimmerman said. “We haven’t really done anything in Calder and Avery, and I would really like to use some of those funds down there.”  

Stutzke said the stretch of road is simply too big for the county to fund a full replacement. She said that $1 million would only result in roughly 3 miles of work being completed. However, she proposed that the county could potentially address the worst parts of the road, which haven’t been chip-sealed since 2019.  

She said maintenance along that stretch is a far cry from what it used to be due to funding and manpower issues.

According to Stutzke, Shoshone County has 107 miles of gravel roads it maintains, but only budgets $35,000 annually for crushed rock and base materials. 

“For the last 10 years, we haven’t budgeted properly for that,” Stutzke said.  

She also said there are a few areas where the road has sunk, causing damage to several vehicles, even at reduced speeds.  

“Those areas could be cut out and rebuilt,” Stutzke said.  

Commissioner Dave Dose suggested the county begin building a priority list for the roads that need the most work. Stutzke said the county keeps a list for its annual capital improvement plan, which is required to stay updated for the county to be able to apply for state and federal grants.  

The funds Zimmerman would like to utilize are part of the county’s remaining ARPA funds under the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund umbrella. 

Stutzke is going to travel to the southern part of the county, assess the roads and return to the board with suggestions for improvements.