Cedar, First switch to 2-way traffic

SANDPOINT — Cedar Street and First Avenue in downtown Sandpoint will revert to two-way traffic at approximately 8 a.m. today, and the new signal lights will be activated.

The final phase of this project, which involves the reversion of Church Street to two-way traffic, will begin at this time. City officials said the work will be completed within the next week. Until the Church Street striping is completed, residents are advised that the block between Fourth and Fifth avenues on Church Street will be two-way to facilitate traffic turning off of Pine Street. Church Street from First to Fourth avenues will remain one-way until the project is completed.

On their Facebook page, Sandpoint Police has said the recommended truck route, specifically for trucks wanting to travel toward Priest River, is to use the Highway 95 bypass and use the north Highway 2 exit at the “Y” to Fifth Avenue and out to Highway 2. If trucks choose to use the south exit to enter the city, they are not to turn left onto Pine Street from First Avenue “ever.” Instead, the post directs them to proceed north onto Cedar Street to Fifth and out to Highway 200.

Fifth Avenue was converted to two-way traffic several weeks ago. A traffic signal was installed at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Church Street, which will replace the light at the intersection of Fifth and Pine.

Ultimately, all of the streets in Sandpoint will be two-way, except for two blocks of Main Street between Third and Fifth avenues, as well as the one block of Pine Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Both of these sections will remain one-way for eastbound traffic.

The reversion is part of the city’s downtown revitalization project and is designed to get through traffic out of the downtown core and create more of a “downtown feel.”

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.