Atlas Bike Path Extension Under Construction

Article from the CdA Press:

By TOM HASSLINGER
Staff writer

COEUR d’ALENE — The key word is “connectivity.”
That’s been the motto for the city of Coeur d’Alene as it works on connecting bicycle and walking trails from one end of town to the other and beyond.
Its latest project, extending 1,200 feet on the Atlas Bike Trail, will loop together three popular riding routes along Atlas Road near Interstate 90.
“Anywhere we can find connections to make cycling easier and safer, we’ll do it,” said Monte McCully, city trails coordinator.
Work began on the project last week, and motorists can expect brief delays on Atlas Road during daytime hours.
The Atlas extension will connect that trail under I-90 to the Centennial Trail, which parallels the highway at that point. Farther north along the Atlas Trail is a connection to the Prairie Trail, meaning once the project is finished in a month, three trails will loop together.
“It’s like a big circle now,” McCully said.
And the addition, funded by a $300,000 grant from the Idaho Transportation Department, will push Coeur d’Alene’s amount of class one pedestrian and bicycle trails to 40 miles inside city limits.
Class one lanes are separate trails specifically built for foot and bike travel, as opposed to bicycle lanes marked on the side of a vehicle road.