Back when the corporate purse strings were open after the BNSF merger, there were big plans to double track the entire Funnel from Sandpoint to Spokane. Most of the work was completed save for the Athol-Rathdrum section and the three other locations that would involve building bridges across water (Spokane River, Lake Cocolalla, and Lake Pend Oreille). But along about 2000 when traffic dropped, the shareholders lashed Rob Krebs over the cost of Stampede Pass and other projects, so the corporate purse was closed up for the most part and those other improvements were left for another day. Now BNSF is waiting on government money from the "Bridging the Valley" project to pay for the upgrades between Spokane and Athol. The "Bridging the Valley" project was to have included a new double track span across the Spokane River and triple tracking the Funnel from Sunset Jct to Athol. It'll probably be a long time in coming for the BTV project to be completed (also involves removing the UP line through Post Falls)