In order to fully experience the changes the last 80 years has brought about in highway construction, I dropped down to Lewiston from the north via the Old Spiral Highway. Coming from the top and exiting to the right, you see the Snake River. In from the left is the Clearwater River. There are four dams downstream from Lewiston that allows it to be the furthest inland sea port on the west coast. They are the same dams that make it difficult for the once abundant salmon to make it as far upstream as Boise, and Redfish Lake high in the Sawtooth Mountains.
The timing of this trip was such that I would re-experience the trip I made 8 years ago along the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers to re-trace a portion of the Lewis and Clark route. I had heard in the news of plans to make mega-truck shipments regularly up this scenic byway. I had to see the size of the loads and the road they would travel.
It’s hard to imagine such huge loads travelling up this windy road engineered over 80 years ago.
Surely these loads, taking four days each and blocking both lanes of traffic on their way, would have to take away from this unique experience.
Four loads have been approved to begin tonight, February 1st. 200+ more are in the pipeline. I held off publishing this because I wanted to time it when readers could take some action to voice their concerns at public meetings. That opportunity never came. It has been approved by Idaho’s governor, made it through the courts, and is being allowed to happen. It will save oil companies a lot of money as they will be able to have components made cheaper in Korea and shipped along this scenic highway than the cost of other options. What is the benefit to the locals, recreationists, and Idaho taxpayers? It would seem that that benefit should be approximately what it would cost to provide the components by an alternate method. At least then Idaho could afford to repair damage to the 80+ year old highway and upgrade local infrastructure along the way. How about better drainage, upgraded roadside amenities and fisheries?
Are we going to get it back to the way I recently experienced it or as I remember from 8 years ago? Click here for more information.
