ITD's South Hill project continues to progress

BONNERS FERRY — Dec. 17 will be the last meeting of the year for the Bonners Ferry Highway 95 South Hill project.

Citizens have been meeting bi-weekly to help the Idaho Transportation Department iron out plans for repaving the South Hill of Bonners Ferry.

According to Ben Ward, ITD’s project manager for the repave who has been meeting with the group regularly, the project definition covers Highway 95 through town, from milepost 504 to 508, approximately from golf course to the base of the North Hill, though most citizens agree that the main focus of the project should be from the USFS Ranger Station to the top of South Hill, with repaving needed on the South Hill itself.

Business owners affected by possible right of way acquisitions have been attending the meetings, as well as interested citizens and city and county officials including Mayor Dave Anderson, Commissioner Walt Kirby and Bonners Ferry Street Supervisor John Youngwirth.

Boundary Economic Development Council Director David Sims heads up the meetings, and County Road and Bridge Supervisor Jeff Gutshall was on hand for the most recent meeting.

Concerned citizen Paul R.W. Anthony has taken it upon himself to create a website that will serve as a forum for citizen comment and information concerning the issues centered around Highway 95 through Bonners Ferry.

The web address is www.hwy95BonnersFerry.com and Anthony is asking any and all citizens interested in finding out more about the project, and making their voices heard to log on to the website and to please post comments.

“I didn’t see any vehicle out there to serve as a forum, where people could read all the facts,” Anthony said. “There is a lot of misinformation and rumor out there, and many people are uninformed about the condition of the road, and the facts surrounding this project.”

To read the rest of the story, see the Dec. 11 print edition of the Daily Bee.