Riverside Road plans debated

BONNERS FERRY — Concerned community members came together in the barn at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge to discuss the plans for upcoming Riverside Road Project on Riverside Street from Ambush Rock through the refuge. The two meetings were scheduled on Aug. 8, for members of the community to obtain more information and submit opinions and concerns about the project to widen the road.

The improvement intends to provide residents and visitors space for people to stop and view the refuge, while allowing through traffic to pass those who wish to go slow, or even stop, to view wildlife.

Local public agencies gathered to talk about access roads to federal lands, and why this project is important because it is a recreational route to not just private property, but to the Wildlife Refuge, BLM lands, and Forest Service lands.

When the project team submitted the application, they realized this is an important issue that needed to be addressed. There are tractors, combines, and other frequently slow-moving traffic, so having a wider space would allow faster-moving traffic the room to go around.

Another goal was to fix up the road for year-round use, especially during the cold months.

The project proposal application was accepted, and the next step was to inform area residents about the plans, as well as hear concerns.

The U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, and Environmental Protection Specialists were notified of the plans. The agencies are coming together to formulate a plan that will be the least invasive to the local wildlife in the refuge.

The planners have broken down the stretch of road into sections, each with its own label and plan. The presentation went into depth about the proposal for each section, road closures, and hours of operation, followed by the presenters listening to questions and concerns, in addition to encouraging residents to submit comments via a provided comment sheet and upcoming online communication methods.

Other than the concern of having to travel a longer alternate route, residents were concerned with safety. Having Riverside Road closed and under construction puts a strain on emergency response time. Not only would the residents need to travel an alternate route, but so will first responders, which runs the risks to health, welfare, and fire response times.

One of the presenters spoke about the construction crews and how they were instructed to allow emergency vehicles through after questions about the accessibility, and acknowledging that the idea is at the forefront of the planners minds.

One audience member questioned the presenters about how much consideration they took in the comments and concerns of the local residents, and the response was about how each comment holds its own weight, and each one will be taken into consideration. For example, if several people in the area work at the same time each day, they may be able to work around that schedule in order to meet the needs of the local residents against road closure.

“If it’s isolated incidents, I don’t know, but if it is a number of people, it becomes more of a concern. If we don’t hear a single comment on it, we won’t think it’s an immediate concern,” said Dan Slanina, project manager from the U.S Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. “We will read and take into consideration everyone’s comments. We do have to weigh what that does to the cost of the project and the impact it has to the community.”

In addition to widening the road and implementing bicycle lanes around the Ambush Rock corners, Montana State University has plans to implement its Dynamic Warning System which will combine the Eco Counter’s Zelt bicycle detection system, which is on an inductive loop, triggering flashing lights to alert motorists of the presence of cyclists on the blind curves.

In addition to the county’s submitted application for the Riverside Road Project, the City of Bonners Ferry also submitted an application to tie in the construction from the railroad tracks to meet up with the construction at Ambush Rock. However, that application was not approved, and the plan is to re-submit another application at the next opportunity.

“I am in awe of the vision and leadership that came from the various agencies involved over such a long period of time,” said resident Barbara Castellan. “Also, I commend their ability to set egos aside and develop the partnership that was needed for this to succeed. Dianna Ellis (from Fish and Wildlife) stepped into the mix a little later in the game, but provided technical expertise, and importantly, the glue that kept the partnership focused.”

There is a plan to lower the levee over a two mile stretch of the four and a half mile zone, down roughly three feet, which will allow a wider road. The planners contacted the farmers and local residents in which lowering the levee may directly affect, and those property owners agreed to the plan. All the material the crew gets from lowering the levee will be relocated to the refuge section to fill the wetlands on both sides and raise the roadway in order to support the wider road.

“As the planning goes forward, I am impressed with the outreach efforts toward the community that will be affected, and I believe the partners hear the concerns of the Westside Road residents regarding our ability to access emergency services during the construction phase,” said Castellan.

While this is the mere beginning steps of moving forward with this project, those planning the construction hope community members will reach out and voice any questions or concerns. Information: Project Manager Dan Salanina email Daniel.Salanina@dot.gov.