Bridge work set to begin in Kellogg
The Bunker Avenue Bridge over the South Fork Coeur d'Alene River in Kellogg is schedule to be repaired as part of Gov. Brad Little's Leading Idaho bridge project.
Photo by MOLLY ROBERTS
KELLOGG – Traffic in Kellogg is going to be a little different this year as work begins on the Bunker Ave. Bridge.
The 55-year-old bridge sits adjacent to the Interstate 90, exit 49 overpass and spans the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River in one of Kellogg’s most heavily trafficked areas.
Work is scheduled to begin later this month, and the bridge will be closed to all traffic beginning on Monday, April 14.
Last month, the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council announced that Rathrum-based construction company LaRiviere Inc. Had been awarded the project, which includes the demolition of the old bridge and the construction of the new crossing.
LaRiviere’s bid of $3,355,456.43 was roughly $800,000 lower than what LHTAC originally estimated for the project in late 2023 and was the lowest bid received to complete the new 158-foot long, 47-foot wide structure. According to the project details, the new structure will be 11 feet wider than the current bridge.
During the project, traffic is expected to be heavily impacted in different areas of Kellogg, especially near I-90 exits 50 and 51, Hill Street and Division Street respectively as people attempt to access the southern half of the city. This will include some peak hours in the mornings and afternoons as school buses transports students to and from Kellogg Middle and High Schools.
Shoshone County Fire District #2, which has a firehouse on the south side of the river just past the bridge, will also see some impacts to their response times according to Chief Scott Dietrich.
“It will slow us up some,” Dietrich said. “All responses west will require us to take Bunker Ave. To Hill Street and then to I-90 or McKinley Ave.”
In August 2024, it was announced that the new bridge would be known as Mac Pooler Bridge in honor of the former Kellogg mayor. Pooler, 83, worked closely with LHTAC during his time as mayor, advocating heavily for the communities of North Idaho. He stepped down from his position last spring.
In 2022, the Bunker Ave. Bridge Project was one of 12 projects in Shoshone County that had been awarded funding as part of Idaho Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho Project. The Leading Idaho Project includes more than 100 bridges across the state and received approval for up to $400 million in surplus funding from the Idaho Legislature as part of a historic transportation investment package that did not require any increase in taxes or fees.
“These rebuilt bridges may take some time, but they will certainly be worth the wait,” city of Kellogg Public Works Director Mike Fitzgerald said previously. “Our project team is full of skilled professionals who only deliver the best work.”
According to Kellogg city officials, the project is expected to be completed by November of this year.