The City of Sandpoint has been replacing a sewer on First Street, which is why many commuters must make a few extra turns on the way to their destinations.

“There (have) been issues of sewer back-ups on 1st [street] for years,”  Mayor Shelby Rognstad said.

Sewer back-ups have affected businesses and property owners. Most importantly, water quality and operations at the water treatment plant.

Due to the urgency of the project, the City of Sandpoint has decided that this year is the time to pursue such an issue.

The end goal is to “Improve utility service (wastewater and water) for downtown Sandpoint for the next 50 years,” Rognstad said.

This year, the City of Sandpoint had budgeted funds in place to complete the sewer replacement but waited until the slowest season of the year for businesses so as to minimize the effects of such construction.

The City of Sandpoint mitigated the impact on businesses further by “ensuring that patrons still have access to businesses at all times,” according to Rognstad.

“The City has notified the public and downtown business community over the summer through local papers, radio, chamber, social media and person to person outreach,” Rognstad said.

The demographic missed were the commuters and customers of the downtown business community.

Many commuters were surprised and unprepared for traffic backups and may have come late for school or work.

The changes took place in such a crucial area of traffic flow in Sandpoint, as drivers vied for a chance to drive through poorly marked intersections.

The completion of the project means no more traffic for commuters, clean water for businesses and households, and greater water flow and pressure throughout the entire sewer and water line system within the City of Sandpoint.