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Sand Creek Byway combines
nature and transportation in Sandpoint

Eight years after its completion, the Sand Creek Byway in Sandpoint complements the lifestyle of residents while allowing for a convenient through-route for travelers and commercial traffic.

“The byway was and remains the largest ITD contract in our history, at $110 million,” D1 District Engineer Damon Allen said. “Despite challenging engineering conditions, it was constructed on time and on budget and ultimately earned deep community support.”

The byway improved mobility on US-95, and as a result of community input also included many other elements that helped this project be more than a transportation solution.

New bridges over Sand Creek were designed to keep the stream navigable for boaters at the adjacent marina as they accessed the largest lake in the state, and the extended shoreline provided park-like access for kayakers. The shoreline extension also linked area trails, including to a popular mall at the Cedar Street Bridge. Other enhancements included decorative blue lighting and additional parking near the city beach.

To offset impacts from lengthening the shoreline, three acres of nearby streambank were enhanced with a variety of vegetation that would support birds and other wildlife. The byway was also built with retaining walls that incorporated planting baskets that were filled with soil and seeded with vegetation to disguise the structure, and today the grasses grow thick along the edges of the path.

“With the help of a sprinkler system operated by the City of Sandpoint, the living retaining wall has become well-established and helps to beautify the highway structure in the vicinity of the popular city beach entrance,” Environmental Planner Mike Hartz said.

“The combination of environmental enhancements included with the project serve as a successful example of community-based input helping ITD provide the best context-sensitive solution for meeting a vital transportation need.”

Residents and visitors alike enjoy the intersection of transportation and beauty at the Sand Creek Byway, with the system set to be useable for all for many more years to come.