SANDPOINT — After months of waiting and delays, North Boyer Road reopened Thursday following the construction of a new culvert below the road.

The road was closed in early June after several structural issues with the culvert were discovered at the Sand Creek crossing. Sandpoint’s Public Works director Holly Ellis said in the summer that the project was a top priority for the city because of the road’s access to Schweitzer Mountain. 

"Hats off to Holly Ellis, our public works crew and many people who were working hard,” Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm said. “The culvert has been replaced and paved.” 

The city originally expected the construction to be completed by late September but delays in acquiring the needed pipe pushed back construction. Grimm said at the Oct. 1 City Council meeting that the city was on a waitlist for a custom-built pipe from one of the only suppliers in the nation. 

Sandpoint worked with Advanced Dirt Works, a local construction company that worked with the city on other culverts, for the project. Ellis said the city made $250,000 from its reserves available to complete the project. 

Ellis said in July that during their further investigation of the culvert, city staff found a leak, which could have caused the culvert to collapse if it had not been closed until repairs could be made.