ITD gearing up for six-week Long Bridge construction project

Work will focus on removing raised joint edges to lessen damage for snowplows

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

The Idaho Transportation Department announced the beginning of a project on the Long Bridge intended to lower joint edges across the span that hamper snow plowing during winter maintenance operations. Beginning the week of Monday, Sept. 8, crews will work overnight for six weeks, setting up traffic controls each day at 7 p.m. and finishing work by 6 a.m. the next morning.

Drivers should expect the bridge to operate with only one lane at night; however, the contractor will limit the work zone to sections of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet at a time, rather than a lane closure running the full length of the bridge. 

Meanwhile, flagging crews will alternate traffic through the work zone, with the hope by officials that staggering the closures will help smooth traffic flow and shorten wait times.

Most oversized loads should be able to pass through unimpeded, with wider work zones than ITD’s bridge project in 2024, but truckers should check Idaho 511 for specific limitations.

The contractor plans to institute a work schedule of 10-days-on, four-days-off to complete the project more quickly — however, that will mean lane closures on some weekend nights.

“After a few seasons of working on the Long Bridge, we’ve learned a lot about what works for traffic control,” stated Project Manager Preston Sochovka. “We’re listening to the community and using those lessons to fine-tune our approach this year. We’re optimistic these changes will make it easier for drivers with shorter delays and quicker trips across the bridge.”

The current project stemmed from issues discovered after overlay work in 2024 related to raised joint edges that created challenges for snowplows. The joints — which are familiar to any driver crossing the bridge, with their signature “thud-thud” sound — connect sections of the span and allow the structure to expand and contract with the weather. However, that feature of the bridge will be no more — or at least lessened — after the work is concluded.

“Drivers may not notice a big difference, but this will keep snowplows from catching on the joints and help equipment last longer,” ITD stated in a news release. “Crews will remove the raised edges. They will also add a thin layer of epoxy to protect the roadway from precipitation.”

The department wrote that it “acknowledges that this is the third consecutive year of construction on the Long Bridge and understands the frustration that goes along with it.”

“We know it’s not easy to keep coming back,” Sochovka said. “But we’ve learned from last year, and this year’s work is about finishing strong and setting the bridge up for long-term performance.”

ITD has coordinated with the Lake Pend Oreille School District to help families living in areas of the county south of the Long Bridge to get to Sandpoint varsity home games on time: Crews will start work later on those nights so that traffic isn’t impeded by construction work. 

“While not all events can be accommodated, ITD is working with the district to find the best opportunities to lessen impacts and keep Bulldog spirit high and on time,” the department stated.

The Long Bridge is iconic to Sandpoint and began life in 1910 as “the longest wooden bridge in the world” at about two miles in length. Several iterations followed, with the current bridge built in 1981. A recent rehabilitation project extended its life from 75 to 100 years, and the bridge built in 1956 — which runs along the current span and serves as a pedestrian bridge closed to vehicles — was also reinforced.

Going forward, ITD is studying options to replace the pedestrian bridge with a new two-lane northbound span that would include a bike and pedestrian path. In that plan, the bridge constructed in 1981 could carry two lanes of southbound traffic. ITD anticipates pursuing federal grants to advance design work for the new bridge, followed by additional funding opportunities for construction, as the Reader previously reported.

The ITD Board announced in December 2024 that it would put $200,000 toward initiating the analysis. That same month, department officials said they would shorten their timeline on undertaking large-scale work on the Long Bridge.

“Up until now, we have been performing maintenance projects to delay replacing this expensive structure until it reached 100 years old,” District Engineer Damon Allen stated in the announcement at the time. “But as we’ve looked to widen U.S. 95 south of town, we’ve heard from the public that they want us to look at this sooner rather than later.”

How much time and money would be required for the project remains to be seen, but the Reader previously reported that ITD estimated that it would cost “at least” $225 million just for the northbound half of a new four-lane bridge.

ITD asked that drivers plan to take extra time when traveling through the area at night and check Idaho 511 for the latest updates on restrictions and delays.