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KMPO's $302 million TIP includes regionally significant projects impacting Post Falls through 2032
Summary
City engineer Robert Paulus told council the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization's 2026–2032 transportation improvement program programs roughly $302 million in federally aided projects for the region, with locally important projects including the Lancaster/Hutter roundabout, State Highway 53 Pleasant View interchange, Prairie Avenue widening and I-90 interchange work that will change access patterns in Post Falls.
Robert Paulus, city engineer, briefed the council on the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization's proposed Transportation Improvement Program for fiscal years 2026 through 2032, which he said lists about $302 million in federally aided projects for the Kootenai metropolitan area.
"Over the next 7 years we're gonna see approximately $302,000,000 spent on transportation projects with federal aid involved in those projects," Paulus said, adding that about 91% of those funds are for construction, with planning and right-of-way making up the remainder. He said roughly 54% of the program is federal funding and 46% is match.
Paulus highlighted projects of local interest: the Lancaster and Hutter roundabout (recently opened), the State Highway 53 Pleasant View interchange (approximately $45 million and currently under construction), Prairie Avenue widening and the Prairie Trail underpass, the Chase Road safety and multiuse path project (pending railroad agreement), and I-90 widening and interchange improvements tied to the State Highway 41 work. He noted some state-led projects carry right-of-way impacts the city will need to negotiate.
On the region-scale Rathdrum Prairie area transportation study, Paulus summarized four alternative design approaches (including widening US-95 and several north-south local roadway alternatives with varying right-of-way and environmental tradeoffs) and said staff will return with screening results and public outreach in 2026.
Why it matters: the TIP programs federal and state dollars that will shape safety, multimodal access and major capacity changes in and around Post Falls over the coming decade.
Next steps: KMPO has adopted the TIP; city staff will continue coordination with ITD, KMPO and project partners on right-of-way, design timing and local impacts. Council asked specific questions about impacts to the city's land-application sites and the potential for replacement or mitigation during right-of-way acquisition.
