Final Rathdrum Prairie transportation meeting set for July 8

Residents from Post Falls to Rathdrum will get one last public look at the Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study on July 8, when the Idaho Transportation Department and the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization hold their fifth public meeting at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. The session will show the remaining alternatives, gather comment through July 22 and help decide which options move toward the next stage of environmental review.

Its area stretches from the Idaho-Washington state line east to Government Way and from Interstate 90 north to State Highway 53, covering Coeur d'Alene, Hauser, Hayden, Post Falls and Rathdrum. The work is aimed at improving safety, keeping traffic moving efficiently and making the transportation system more reliable as growth continues across the prairie.

By the time residents walk into the fairgrounds meeting, the project team will have already trimmed the field from 54 initial concepts to 13 alternatives, then to four Level 3 alternatives for further evaluation and project development. The study is also meant to address high crash locations, future traffic growth and new connections for walking, biking and transit.

Earlier public discussion showed strong interest in the Huetter Road alternative, and the next round of comment could influence whether a revised route, an upgraded existing corridor or another connection advances in the final report. Possible solutions include improving existing corridors, realigning them or building new ones.

In September 2025, the most recent in-person meetings drew 127 people, 314 people joined online and the public submitted 91 comment forms. The study has been using the Planning and Environmental Linkages process since at least October 2023, and after this final comment round the remaining alternatives are expected to move into the National Environmental Policy Act review phase.