5/8/2013
Construction of railroad bridge on Idaho 41/53 begins this week
COEUR d'ALENE - Construction of a new railroad overpass on Idaho 41/53 iin Rathdrum begins this month, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
The project includes highway widening and traffic signal replacement. The structure will be built in two phases to ensure that two lanes of traffic will remain open with only minor delays and that pedestrian access will be maintained during construction.
Originally proposed under the "Bridging the Valley" transportation study, the project will modify and improve the grade separation of Idaho 41/53 over the BNSF Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad while improving traffic flow, safety and pedestrian access. It also will accommodate additional BNSF mainline tracks.
The new bridge and expanded roadway will include four 12-foot lanes (two in each direction), and curbs, gutters and 10-foot-wide pedestrian/bicycle paths on both sides. Those paths will extend across the bridge with parapet walls between the path and the roadway over the bridge. Traffic signals at both intersections will be replaced with updated detection technology and fiber interconnects between the two intersections.
The contractor is Sletten Construction Co. of Great Falls, Mont. The contractor is scheduled to begin clearing and grubbing vegetation for the project Thursday (May 9) and driving pile on Friday, May 17. Pile driving will resume on May 20 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pile driving for the first phase of construction should be completed by May 24.
The project is scheduled to be complete by June 2014.