Prairie Trail closed through Feb. 28 for utility work; detour NW Blvd

Avista crews began digging trenches along the Prairie Trail on Feb. 12 and the northern segment will remain closed through Feb. 28 as crews install underground utility lines, city officials said. The closure covers Prairie Trail going north from the Centennial Trail/Prairie Trail junction to Golf Course Road, a stretch adjacent to Interstate 90 where overhead lines are being removed and buried.

The City of Coeur d’Alene posted a notice signed by Monte McCully, Trails Coordinator and Urban Forester: "The Prairie Trail will be closed, going north from the Centennial Trail/Prairie Trail junction to Golf Course Road, starting February 12th and continuing through the end of the month. A detour route will guide trail users down NW Blvd and back to the trail, south of the interstate. For the safety of the work crews and yourselves, please don't cut through the construction area, as there will be open trenches and heavy equipment operating in the area. Thank you. Monte McCully Trails Coordinator/Urban Forester City of Coeur d’Alene Parks Department (208) 292-5766"

Technical work on the site includes Avista crews laying 800 feet of 4-inch PVC pipe to encase new power lines and digging open trenches for both power and gas lines. City water crews also "had to 'tear up a portion of the trail' to put in waterlines," according to city reporting. Steel plates will cover open trenches where needed to reduce the risk of falls, and the underground lines will replace above-ground lines that run along the westbound lane of I‑90.

Trail users are being routed onto a detour that directs people down Northwest Boulevard and back to the Prairie Trail south of the interstate; the city and KREM both advised users not to cut through the work zone because of open trenches and heavy equipment. McCully warned, "There will be open trenches and heavy equipment in the area, so it’s not safe to do that," and added a concern about unsafe crossings: "I’ve seen people running across the freeway, which is definitely not a good thing to do."

City officials tied the utility work to the larger highway project. "It’s all part of the I-90 widening project," McCully said, and he flagged additional closures ahead: "The eastbound trail along Seltice to Northwest Boulevard will be closed sometime this spring through the better part of the year to widen it," and "There will be several more closures over the next two years, but we’ll do our best to keep a trail open at all times." City Councilor Christie Wood said she hopes the Prairie Trail work "does not extend past the end of the month."

Questions or concerns about timing, signage or safety measures can be directed to Monte McCully at the Coeur d’Alene Parks Department, (208) 292-5766. A Cdapress photo credited to BOB KIRKPATRICK\Press shows an Avista crew digging trenches adjacent to the trail.