Community can learn about US-20 work in Rexburg at April 2 open house

The Idaho Transportation Department is holding an open house on Tuesday, April 2 to share construction plans and closures at two interchanges on US -20 in Rexburg. This summer, the interchanges at University Boulevard (Exit 332) and State Highway 33 (Exit 333) will be rebuilt to be safer and more efficient.

The open house will be held at Madison High School from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Information will also be available online from April 2-9 at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.

“Our goal is to complete this project as quickly as possible for the Rexburg community,” Project Manager Conner Huffaker said. “We encourage community members to learn about major tra?c impacts so they can plan ahead for a successful summer.”

Early work on the interchanges began this month. Major impacts will include fully closing each interchange, one at a time, during construction. A full closure of Exit 332 is anticipated for the month of June. A full closure of Exit 333 is anticipated for the month of August. One interchange will remain open as a detour route while the other is closed for construction.

The full closure schedule will allow crews to work faster and complete both interchanges in one construction season. US-20 will remain open to through tra?c during construction. ITD anticipates all work will be complete by late October.

When complete, both interchanges will be diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs). The DDI design was chosen after many years of analyzing technical data and working with the local community. Watch this video to learn how to drive through the new interchanges.

To sign up for email updates, visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.

Advisory: Idaho DMV changing phone numbers on April 8

Beginning on April 8, Idahoans will need to dial new phone numbers to reach the Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV is changing to a new phone service provider which requires changing phone numbers. With the new provider, the DMV will be able to offer better customer service and faster calls. 

 

The new numbers, one for the general public and one for commercial vehicle customers, will be announced to the public on Monday, April 8. The “old” DMV number, 208-334-8000, will still be in service for Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) business not related to DMV. For a period of time, customers who call ITD looking for the DMV will be given the new number. 

 

“We take about 2,000 calls a day at the DMV,” explained DMV administrator Lisa McClellan, “We’ve been working since early February, setting up and testing the new system to ensure a smooth transition for all those customers.” 

 

In addition to calling the DMV, customers can complete over a dozen transactions online at www.dmv.idaho.gov, or visit a county office to have their questions answered in person. 

Construction underway on I-90 in the Silver Valley

Interstate 90 at the Big Creek interchange, looking east.

 

Construction is underway on Interstate 90 for the second year between Osburn and Wallace to resurface the freeway with asphalt to replace existing concrete. Crews have closed the inside lanes for both eastbound and westbound traffic so they can work in the median.

Lane closures will be in place through the end of next week as crews prepare to shift all traffic to run on the eastbound lanes on April 1. One lane will remain open in each direction. Throughout the construction season travelers should also expect intermittent on- and off-ramp closures at Silverton and on the west side of Wallace. Advance notification of these closures will be given through signs posted near the work zone.

Later this summer, crews will transition to repave from Big Creek to Osburn and a short section of the interstate east of Wallace.

Work last year focused on the eastbound lanes, and construction this year will focus on the westbound lanes. This project is anticipated to be completed by fall 2024.

Additional work zones in the Silver Valley this season will include resurfacing the I-90 bridge over Pine Creek near Pinehurst, and adding the final layer to the driving surface on the eastbound bridges at Division Street and Elizabeth Park Road.

Both projects are slated to be completed in approximately one month from the time they start, which will likely be sometime in April, as weather allows.

Speed limits for all three construction zones will be reduced to 55 miles per hour for the safety of drivers and workers.

Drivers are encouraged to check 511.idaho.gov for impacts to traffic.

ICONIC Workforce Development Program Seeks Spring 2024 Applicants for Boise Course

Up to twenty Idahoans interested in pursuing a career operating construction equipment or performing any of the associated construction or road-building trades like cement masonry, truck driving, carpentry, or concrete finishing are invited to apply for free training in Boise during a five-week course (April 17-May 25). ITD’s workforce development program ICONIC (Idaho Career Opportunities – Next In Construction) gives graduates an opportunity to land a job in the fast-growing construction industry paying on average of $43,000-$52,000 per year.

Recipients will get to showcase their skills to potential employers at the end of the course. Since 2020, approximately 80% of the 85 graduates have found employment in the industry within six months of completing the program – many within days or weeks.

“Construction is one of the most in-demand job fields in Idaho,” said Workforce Development Program Manager Jessika Doglietto. “There is no better time than now to seek a career in construction.”

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, possess a valid driver’s license, and be able to pass a drug-screening test.

For more information and to apply, please visit the program’s website at iconic.idaho.gov

 

Slow your roll: Statewide campaign aims to calm speeding and aggressive driving

From speeding, to weaving, to failing to yield there’s more to aggressive driving than just road rage. From March 19-30, the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is teaming up with law enforcement partners across the state for targeted aggressive driving enforcement. Expect to see more officers on the road to stop aggressive driving behavior.

Preliminary data from OHS shows that in 2023 there were nearly 14,000* aggressive driving crashes in Idaho and 103* people died.

Contributing factors used by OHS to identify aggressive driving include speeding, driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, failing to yield, and failing to obey a stop sign or signal.

“Aggressive driving is a choice, which means it’s within our power to change,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “Choosing to drive engaged and safely may save your life or someone else’s.”

It is incredibly important for parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of aggressive driving because teens are overrepresented in aggressive driving crashes. OHS found that in 2022, drivers ages 19 and younger were four times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes as all other drivers. Drivers under the age of 25 represent more than one-third (35%) of the drivers involved in aggressive driving crashes that year.

While the term aggressive driving leads many people to think of road rage, many behaviors are considered aggressive driving. Road rage is a violent criminal act that falls on the extreme end of aggressive driving.

If you encounter an aggressive or violent driver do not engage. Safely get out of their way as soon as possible. If you can get a vehicle description, license number, and location report the information to law enforcement.

 

*Preliminary data subject to change

Construction at Exit 211 on I-84 in Heyburn has begun

Drone shot of the Heyburn Interchange on I-84 before construction

Construction to upgrade the Heyburn Interchange (Exit 211) is scheduled to begin Monday (March 11), adding another work zone on Interstate 84 as work began at the nearby Burley Interchange (Exit 208) in late February. Both multi-year projects include replacing the interchanges, with funding coming from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho program.

The interchanges were built in the 1960s. Feedback from open houses held in 2022 and 2023 led to the selection of new designs that are safer and capable of handling more traffic.

On Monday, crews will mobilize into the area and begin setting up the work zone. Nighttime lane closure are not anticipated until early April when they place barrier and start removing vegetation in the median.

Upgrading the interchange will take until late 2026 and is expected to cost $90.1 million. Drivers can generally expect:

  • All lanes on I-84 will be open during the day. Drivers will be shifted many times to run on temporary pavement to keep traffic flowing.
  • Nighttime lane closures on I-84 as needed.
  • Nighttime ramp closures as needed.
  • Lane closures and traffic shifts on State Highway 24 where it crosses underneath the interstate.

The new interchange will be shifted to the east and feature longer ramps to access I-84 and two new signals to control ramp traffic. The existing loop ramps will be removed, and the I-84 bridges will be replaced. View the detailed design here. Download a drone shot of the interchange before construction.

This year, the contractor will work on building temporary lanes in the median to shift traffic onto, start reconstructing westbound lanes with concrete and form embankments for future ramps.

Nighttime lane closures initially anticipated at the Burley Interchange in late February have been delayed by weather. To be alerted when those lane closures begin, visit the project website to sign up for email updates. Live traffic impacts can always be checked at 511.idaho.gov.

The Leading Idaho program allows ITD to accelerate project timelines to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise take many years to fund and build.

Construction resumes on the I-84 Kimberly Interchange

Image of I-84/ID-50 Kimberly Interchange

Next week work will resume at the Interstate 84 Kimberly Interchange as crews continue to rebuild it to handle more traffic.

Drivers should plan for daytime lane closures on I-84 as early as Monday (March 11), pending weather conditions.

Traffic will remain shifted to the newly constructed northbound lanes on the bridge going over the interstate. Over the next two weeks, crews will demolish the southbound lanes of the overpass.

Lane closures on both I-84 and SH-50 will remain in place for several months, even after bridge demolition is complete. Throughout construction drivers can expect reduced speed limits, traffic shifts and short-duration ramp closures.

Reconstruction of the interchange includes additional space for turning lanes, sidewalks and a pedestrian fence on the SH-50 bridge. It is also designed to provide extra room for potential future expansion of I-84 underneath the bridge, though nothing is planned at this time.

Work began in June 2023, and since then crews have rebuilt half of the SH-50 bridge and part of all the ramps as well as repaved SH-50 near the bridge. For more information visit I-84/SH-50: Kimberly Interchange | ITD Projects (idaho.gov).

Construction should wrap up in the fall of 2024. Travelers are urged to download the 511 app or visit 511.idaho.gov to stay up to date on traffic impacts.

 

Idaho students can display skills in Aviation Art Contest

Idaho students age 5-18 are encouraged to demonstrate their artistic skills under the theme “Careers in Aerospace” in the annual Aviation Art Contest through the Idaho Division of Aeronautics. The contest is open now through April 5, with winners announced May 3.

Age-group winners (categories listed below) received the following awards/recognition:

  • First place winners:
    • Invitation to ride in an airplane
    • Copy of their artwork signed by our Governor
    • Congratulatory letter
  • Second place winners:
    • Receive $25 in art supplies
    • Congratulatory letter

The rules are as follows:

  • Submit original artwork
  • Paper size must be 11” x 17” (Landscape orientation)
  • Must be two-dimensional watercolor, acrylic or oil, colored pencil, felt-tip marker, ballpoint
  • pen, pen and ink, and/or crayon
  • Must have a completed Certificate of Authenticity attached securely to the back of the piece of artwork (see link below for certificate)
  • No pencil, charcoal, collage, digital, or clip art

Artwork Categories by Age:
Age Group I: 5–6 years old
Age Group II: 7–9 years old
Age Group III: 10–12 years old
Age Group IV: 13–15 years old
Age Group V: 16–18 years old

Winners will also be featured in the 2025 Aviation Art Calendar

See the Entry Form under the “Safety & Education” tab on the Aeronautics webpage at the ITD website or this link.