Public debates Riverside Road Project options
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The second option for rebuilding 4.5 miles of Riverside Road is discussed by attendees of a public hearing Tuesday night at the Boundary County Fairgrounds. Some people were concerned this option would close Riverside Road and force drivers to travel a long detour route, but it would also shorten the construction time from two years to one.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The Riverside Road Project meeting showcased the benefits that would be gained, like wider roadways for safety.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN South Boundary Fire Chief Tony Rohrwasser studies one of the construction options to see if it will affect his fire department’s ability to respond to emergencies.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN One of the proposed projects will attempt to improve the access and safety of the Deep Creek boat launch with a ‘T’ type intersection.
BONNERS FERRY — People gathered at the Boundary County Fairgrounds Memorial Hall on Tuesday, July 23, to learn about and contribute to the Riverside Road project. This was the second meeting that was held regarding this project, in which the public had a chance to make suggestions and ask questions. The first meeting was held on Aug. 8, 2018, at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge.
The project would reconstruct approximately four and a half miles of Riverside Road, which provides access to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, Bureau of Land Management lands, and United States Forest Service - Panhandle National Forest.
The goals are to widen the road; add lanes on either side for pedestrians, bicyclists, and ATVs; provide a better road surface; fix poor subgrade issues; and fix substandard roadway geometry, such as fixing the entrance to the Deep Creek boat launch area, making the intersection safer.
The meeting, held from 6 until 7:30 p.m. was a mix of presentation and interaction. There were four topics set up in the corners of the room, complete with detailed boards. After the initial presentation, people were invited to visit each of these areas, meet the project team, and give feedback. Then the meeting came back together for a question and answer session.
“I want to get people’s input on the project and how they feel about some of the options that we are describing to them,” said Brandon Stokes, PE, Project Manager, Federal Highways Administration, Western Federal Lands Highway Division.
One of the main concerns voiced by the public appeared to be access during construction. The team had a station set up for this, with two proposed construction plans. The first would take two years to complete, but it would have one lane open. Answering questions about the delays, officials said the wait time could be as long as 20 minutes. The second proposed plan would shorten the project to one year. This would close the road completely during the construction and offered detour routes, such as using Lion’s Den Road.
There was much debate regarding which plan was better, with neither one seeming to have an overwhelming majority of favor. For farmers in the area, the first option with the single lane was a concern to them, as their farm equipment is up to 16 feet wide, and the single lane may be too narrow for them. The team listened to these concerns and an open discussion followed.
For farmers along the stretch of Riverside Road, the main concern was access during farming season, as that affects their livelihood. For people living past the proposed project area, they were concerned about getting into town, neither wanting to drive all the way around, or deal with a one-lane road for two years.
At each station, they not only had teammates to answer the public’s questions, but also a note taker to record concerns and possible solutions.
“The hope for this meeting is to build a community agreement on the 70 percent plans that we presented to Western Federal Lands,” said Jon Pederson, Project Manager for DJ&A.
There appeared to be more enthusiasm regarding the finished project. The proposed widening of the road from 20 feet to 32 feet seemed to make some people happier. It did change from the original proposed 12 foot lanes, with four foot shoulders, to 11 foot lanes, with five foot shoulders. When the public asked about the change, the team informed them that the narrower lanes would slow traffic down, increasing safety.
“Some aspects of this project have challenges, but in the end, I think this project is going to be a great improvement to the existing Riverside Road,” said Pederson. “It has a lot of unique benefits to the public, mainly an increase in safety for motorists, but also increasing safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and UTV users.”
The meeting showcased many concerns that the public had, especially those who use the road on a daily basis, but this was also useful for the project team, as they encouraged people to fill out questionnaires with their feedback and suggestions.
“I think it was a really good turnout,” said Boundary County Commissioner Dan Dinning. “I was really glad with the interaction with everybody. The main thing I was hoping for out of this was an extremely good communication between contractor and the public.”
For more information: flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/id/riverside