Long Bridge construction project nearing half completion

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Crews working on the Long Bridge construction project are almost halfway finished with the work, including completion of the majority of the southbound lane, according to an update from the Idaho Transportation Department.

The six-week project began the week of Sept. 8, with crews working overnight to lower the joint edges at sections of the bridge span, which damage snowplows during winter maintenance.

“Our inspectors are satisfied with the work quality and noticing how much smoother the bridge will be for drivers and our plows alike,” ITD Senior Public Information Officer Megan Jahns wrote in an email, later adding that if the contractor continues work at the current pace — and weather conditions are favorable — the project may be completed ahead of schedule.

Traffic controls have been set up each day at 7 p.m., with work finishing by 6 a.m. the following morning. During those times, the bridge operates with a single lane, with work zones limited to sections of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet at a time, intended to stagger the closures and reduce delays.

According to ITD, delays are timed at 11-18 minutes — depending on which direction motorists are traveling, “which is much better than delays from the tech issues and backup plans we faced our first week of work.”

“This is much more in line with our delays we expect to see with any work zone, though we will continue to monitor and adjust as we are able,” Jahns wrote. “We have been able to reduce delays by having flaggers manually manage traffic on the bridge for the first part of the shift and then switch to the automated system after traffic has calmed down for the evening.”

Public feedback has included requests to begin work later at night and scheduling closures to accommodate travellers using the bridge to and from area sporting events.

“Starting later is an option we may explore if delays exceed what they have been recently,” Jahns added. “Also, we will note the community’s desire to plan around all sporting events in Sandpoint, not just the high school events, for any future projects — last year the majority of comments had focused on the high school events, so that’s where we had focused when working with the contractor and planning a schedule this year.”

Check Idaho 511 for the latest updates on restrictions and delays.