Construction Resumes on SH-53 Pleasant View Interchange, Phases On Track Summer 2026

Construction resumed this week on the Pleasant View Road interchange on State Highway 53 in the Hauser/Rathdrum area, and the Idaho Transportation Department says the new interchange and widened highway are on track to open to traffic in summer 2026. Motorists should expect changes in access and intermittent lane restrictions as crews complete paving, roadway connections and striping.

The project will reconstruct SH-53 to two lanes in each direction with a center median throughout the project limits, ITD said, while maintaining one lane of traffic in each direction for most of the work. ITD warned drivers will face traffic shifts and periodic lane restrictions as contractors finish pavement and stripe the new lanes.

ITD also noted connections to the north side of the interchange are scheduled this spring, a phase that will change how drivers access SH-53 until the interchange opens later this summer. The department’s release said, "As new connections to the north side of the interchange are completed this spring, drivers will experience changes in how they access SH-53 until the interchange opens for traffic later this summer."

James Dorman, the ITD project manager, framed the work as a long-term safety improvement for the corridor. "We’re thankful for the continued patience and understanding from this community. At the end of construction, drivers in the area will no longer have to wait for trains at the crossings or hear the horn when trains pass," Dorman said. He added the interchange will reduce risky left turns across heavy traffic, saying, "It will also be safer; instead of trying to turn left across high-speed, heavy traffic on SH-53, drivers will get to use the bridge and ramps to merge on to the highway."

ITD attributes the accelerated schedule to a mid-2023 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration, a program ITD said "was created to improve safety at rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time, and resources for American families." The Coeur d’Alene Press reported the FRA award totaled $30 million and said additional support for the Pleasant View project has come from BNSF Railway and the Post Falls Highway District.

While the interchange is expected to open to traffic in summer 2026, ITD and local outlets say final project elements will extend into spring 2027. The remaining work includes closing the at-grade railroad crossings at McGuire Road and Prairie Avenue and routing local traffic to the new interchange, a change that will remove two vehicle crossings of the BNSF tracks in the project area.

Multiple outlets published recent ITD photos of the work showing the interchange bridges over SH-53 and the BNSF railroad tracks, photo credit: ITD. ITD reiterated its safety message to drivers, saying, "ITD appreciates drivers’ patience and encourages motorists to slow down and use caution when traveling through work zones" as crews complete the remaining paving and connections.