The Idaho Transportation Department is undertaking a four-year project to widen I-90 between State Highway 41 in Post Falls, ID and U.S. Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene, ID, with an anticipated completion date of 2029. The project aims to reduce congestion and improve safety by adding two lanes in each direction, widening bridges, and lengthening on- and off-ramps. Construction began in August 2025 and will involve a combination of daytime and nighttime lane closures and traffic shifts. The stretch being addressed is one of the most congested corridors in the area, and ITD expects traffic volumes there to significantly increase over the coming decades.
Included in the scope of the project is the addition of two extra lanes each way, making it four lanes in each direction between SH-41 and US-95, replacement and widening of existing bridges over side roads and local crossings, including bridges over Huetter Road, Atlas Road, and Prairie Trail, and upgrades to the on- and-off ramps at certain interchanges by lengthening them to allow safer merging with I-90 traffic. There will also be adjustments made to nearby pedestrian and bike trails, notably the Prairie Trail and Centennial Trail, which will be realigned and improved where affected to maintain access and safety. Early work includes tree removal (median & shoulders), installation of temporary barriers, work-zone signage, traffic shifts, plus start of bridge work. The expansion is forecast for a four-year effort starting in 2025, with expected completion by 2029.
In August of 2024, Portland Bolt was contracted to manufacture the highway barrier pins, which connect the concrete barriers together. For this project, there were approximately 6,500 connecting pins required, weighing approximately 45,000 lbs in total The pins are made to meet the ASTM A449 specification and are pointed on one end to assist with the installation. The pins are also hot-dip galvanized. With Portland Bolt’s ability to hot forge the heads onto the pins and hot dip galvanize in-house, we were able to ship and deliver the pins directly to the jobsite well before the project began.
