The Bridge The Valley project has a chance to proceed (at all) because of the increased traffic on the UP--which crosses increasingly busier at-grade crossings all accross the increasingly populated Rathdrum Prairie. Together with the Funnel's crossings being all at-grade too, it has put the entire corridor near the top of the list for any potential dollars. The premise is to take care of the UP's many crossing issues plus the impacts on the BNSF by putting everything together in one (BNSF) corridor and grade separating half of the grade crossings (and closing the other half all together. When the under-construction Havana overpass is complete, the first 3 from the west will be done. Pleasant View is next out by Hauser--which will result in McGuire (at West Hauser) closing. Greensferry (at East Hauser) was done by the BNSF as part of the Hauser Yard project, which allowed them to close one of the 2 downtown Rathdrum crossings. Fome west to east (in no ordrr of timeline), Park Road gets separated and Vista closes; Pines is separated and University closes; Barker is separated and Flora closes; Harvard Seperated, McKenzie closed; Not yet sure which of North Idaho or Beck/Poleline gets separated and which closes. In Rathdrum, the highway overpass gets re-done and the remaining "downtown" crossing closes--then to the east are Ramsey, Brunner, and HWY 54 in Athol.
BNSF has been less than happy with the overall project because it brings the UP onto the property--even though they eleminate grade crossings and get multiple tracks. The UP neesd to be on the south side through Yardley, but BNSF needs to get access to the "South 40" industrial area and Trentwood/Velox through that. UP's poteneial yard is on the south side of everything east of Velox. The UP then needs to have its trains crossed over to the north side before Hauser and stay there to Athol. It'all just enough that the BN hasn't been overly thrilled. We'll all believe it when we see it, but the newly-opened Freya overpass was built with room for a 3rd main and so will currently-under construction Havana. A new Spokane River bridge would be built as a new double-track bridge with the existing single-track left as the 3rd Main.
No, there's still no talk of the BNSF doing anything new between Athol and Sandpoint.