State Highway 97 is designated as a State Scenic Byway located generally on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) controlled and maintained the highway which connects Interstate 90 to the City of Harrison and, ultimately, ends at the junction of State Highway 97 and State Highway 3, approximately eight miles southeast of Harrison in Kootenai County, Idaho. As with most Scenic Byways, SH-97 offers residents, recreational users, and occasional commercial and construction delivery drivers beautiful views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding area.
Development pressures on the east side of Coeur d’Alene Lake and the associated traffic increases have caused concern about how much growth could occur in the area and how the roadways could be improved to handle the existing and future needs of the corridor. This study is in response to these concerns and identifies the existing capacity of the current system, proposes improvements on the State Highway 97 Corridor, as well as alternate routes to SH-97 (Burma Road, Gozzer Road, Gotham Bay Road, Carlin Bay Road, Asbury Road, and East Thompson Lake Road).
The SH-97 Corridor Study/Route Development Plan is available as a pdf in the single page layout.