Trying to turn on Ramsey Road from Wilbur Avenue can be “an ordeal,” according to a Coeur d’Alene city sub-committee member.

“I find myself being late a lot,” Christie Wood joked. “Which is not good.”

Aiming to mitigate traffic delays and, more importantly, the risk of danger on the north end, the city’s general services/public works subcommittee on Monday greenlighted an effort to either improve or add traffic signals at multiple intersections along Ramsey Road. 

According to City Engineer Chris Bosley, existing traffic signals at Dalton, Prairie and Hanley avenues along Ramsey will be improved. An entirely new traffic signal, meanwhile, will be erected at the intersection of Wilbur Avenue and Ramsey Road. 

To support the project, the city intends to make a $116,000 match with a grant received by the state of Idaho about three years ago, Bosley said. The city has already budgeted for the match.

“The hope is to go into construction this fall, winter, maybe into the spring, depending on material availability and the weather, of course,” he said.

Traffic lights throughout Coeur d’Alene have usually been a concern for motorists and city officials alike. With high crash rates in downtown Coeur d'Alene in 2018, the city approved a project to replace 11 traffic lights on both Sherman and Lakeside avenues for about $92,000.

The same traffic signal concerns apply to the north end of town, according to Wood. She said current traffic signals there are "antiquated." 

“They’re just not synchronized appropriately,” Wood said. “So, it really does cause backlogs and delays. “With these new light systems coming in, traffic will flow much more efficiently.”

Bosley said the traffic signal improvements will also include ADA-compliant upgrades. 

“And then, lastly, we’ll be coordinating all the signals to help all the traffic progress on Ramsey Road better,” he said.

The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council will soon begin the project bidding process. 

“This is going to make a huge difference to Ramsey,” Wood said.