Lane closures on I-90 between Cataldo and Pinehurst begin Thursday for paving

Map of I-90 work zone between Cataldo and Pinehurst

Starting Thursday the Idaho Transportation Department will begin a nighttime project to resurface a 9-mile section of Interstate 90 from River Road near Cataldo to Pinehurst. This project will involve milling down the driving surface to remove fractures, ruts and flaws and replacing it with a fresh, smooth layer of asphalt.

Work will be conducted Monday through Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. each evening until 6 a.m. the following morning and is expected to be complete by early October.

Although work will be performed at night, drivers will experience single-lane closures during daytime hours as well where the roadway has been milled due to the difference in elevation between lanes.

Several on- and off-ramps within the work zone will have temporary, intermittent nighttime closures during active milling and paving but will be open during the day for access.

Exit 39 at Mission Road
Exit 40 at Latour Creek Road
Exit 43 at Kingston
Exit 45 at Pine Creek

Roadside digital signs will inform drivers of specific information regarding ramp closures.

Drivers, especially motorcyclists, should exercise caution when accessing these ramps as they travel over between milled and un-milled lanes.

This work zone will encompass ongoing work at the I-90 Coeur d’Alene River Bridges. Traffic control will be coordinated with the existing work zone to guide drivers through the area safely.

Up-to-the-minute information about lane and ramp closures, traffic impacts, and delays can be found by using the Idaho 511 system.

Hazard trees removed from North Idaho highways

Logs after a recent tree removal project along SH-5 in North Idaho.

Operators with the Idaho Transportation Department have spent over 3,000 hours clearing hazard trees from more than 12 miles of highways in the Panhandle this summer.

“In 2023 we initiated a statewide roadside tree assessment and enhanced removal plan to understand the scope of work to expand our ability to address Idaho highway hazards, “ confirms ITD Chief Deputy Director Dan McElhinney, “Working with federal partners and local owners, we have taken lead in clearing highway adjacent hazard trees for improving errant driver safety recovery zones, wildlife visibility, and fire protection widths by using innovative new cutting equipment resources for ITD employees and now adding contracts with local firms to tackle larger removal projects with ITD during the next few years.”

This summer alone ITD maintenance operators addressed a five-mile stretch of State Highway 5 near Heyburn State Park, roughly four miles of State Highway 54 between Athol and Farragut State Park, a three-mile stretch of State Highway 97, multiple zones adjacent to I-90 and several emergency tree removals across State Highway 57 after falls across the roadway.

Next year the department plans to work with the Priest River Ranger District to clear all 37 miles along State Highway 57. Besides making the road safer for travelers, tree removal is also heavily supported from the perspective of the U.S. Forest Service as a fire break through this densely wooded area between Priest River and Priest Lake.

This year staff in North Idaho were also able to test out several new machines to best utilize funding for equipment. One operation planned for two days along Interstate 90 was completed in just four hours with the use of a FAE Forestry Mulcher. The mulcher not only grinds downed trees to eliminate the cost and work of waste removal, but also has the capability to cut and fall trees up to 18 inches in diameter, which represent the vast majority of trees within the roadway clear zone. With the help of its cutting and falling capabilities, this single-operator mulcher also enhances safety by eliminating the need for sawyers to work on the ground within the fall zone.

ITD plans to continue its focus on tree removal along highways by working with agency and utility partners, dedicating staff time to this effort and purchasing new equipment to make operations safer and more efficient.

Short-term railroad crossing closure on SH-54 in Athol begins Tuesday

Traffic crosses a railroad crossing on SH-54

Starting Tuesday, our partners with the BNSF Railway will begin work on their crossing at State Highway 54 in Athol that will require the closure of this intersection for two days.

During this time drivers will need to utilize an alternate route around the work area.

Updates about this closure will be available through the Idaho 511 system, either online, by phone, or through the ap.

Temporary signals to be used ahead of traffic shift on US-95 near McArthur Lake this week

A view of the new bridge surface on US-95 near McArthur Lake

Beginning tomorrow drivers can expect to see the return of temporary traffic signals through the end of the week on US-95 near McArthur Lake as guardrail and temporary barrier are installed. By the end of Friday traffic is expected to be shifted onto the bridge, at which time, the temporary signals will be permanently removed.

The adjacent shoofly- the temporary roadway that was constructed last year to divert traffic around the bridge- will begin excavation and work to complete the wildlife underpass will begin.

This project will continue to require reduced lanes, speeds, and intermittent flagging as crews continue to work. Trucks will also be entering and exiting the highway during work days to haul excavated material.

Ongoing updates regarding traffic impacts can be found using the Idaho 511 system.

This project is expected to be completed in late October. Some work, such as final paving, will be dependent on weather conditions as we approach the fall season.

Temporary signals to increase delays in SH-200 work zone in Kootenai

Crews work to pave a new section of SH-200 near Kootenai

Starting next week, crews will begin utilizing temporary traffic signals on State Highway 200. These signals will operate 24 hours a day and reduce the roadway to one lane on the east end of the work zone.

The temporary traffic signals are expected to be in place until for approximately two weeks as crews work to construct a new embankment along the south shoulder of the highway and create the space necessary to expand the highway to include a new center turn lane.

This work also includes milling down through the existing eastbound lane to tie the new and original roadway surfaces together. Available space for through traffic will be limited to a single lane warranting the use of temporary signals around the clock, even outside of working hours. Previously the roadway has only been reduced to one lane during working hours with traffic returned to its normal configuration during nights and weekends.

During this time drivers should continue to expect delays, especially during peak times of the morning and evening commute.

Crews remain mindful of congestion and will take all reasonable steps to minimize the amount of delay drivers experience.

The Idaho Transportation Department appreciates the ongoing patience of motorists throughout this process. The new roadway will deliver a significantly improved corridor to the Kootenai community later this fall.

Once this phase of work is complete both temporary signals will be removed; however, there may be a possibility for intermittent, short term flagging operations after the removal of the signals.

By mid-September motorists can expect notable improvement in the ease of mobility through the construction zone.

This project is on track for final completion of all phases by mid- to late-October.

Nighttime resurfacing to begin next week on the Long Bridge

View of US-95 Long Bridge near Sandpoint

Starting the week of August 19 crews will return to the Long Bridge in Sandpoint and begin resurfacing the roadway. The driving surface was ground down earlier this spring to increase traction and make it safer for travel.

Work will occur overnight Monday through Friday, running from 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. with an expected completion date in mid-September.

During nighttime construction hours traffic will be reduced to a single, alternating lane with flaggers and pilot cars guiding motorists safely through the work zone. Drivers should expect nighttime delays throughout the month and plan ahead.

As a reminder, drivers are encouraged to slow down through work zones and stay alert behind the wheel for the safety of our crews.

Motorists can utilize the Idaho 511 system for real-time updates about ongoing traffic impacts in the area.

ITD receives BNSF ‘Tracking to Zero’ railway safety award

On July 16, the Idaho Transportation Department in District 1 was presented with the BNSF Railway Company’s inaugural “Tracking to Zero” award on behalf of the State of Idaho as one of four state transportation departments honored for dedication to improving the safety of railway grade crossings in their communities last year. Co-awardee DOTs include Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico.

“Because trains are limited in their ability to prevent a collision, safety gains are better achieved by improving how drivers interact around railroad tracks,” said Richard Scott, BNSF’s Assistant Director of Public Projects.

This award is a first-of-its-kind initiative to recognize agencies whose proactive approach to partnership and action have resulted in less than one crossing injury incident per one million BNSF train miles traveled in their respective states per year. By working with state transportation agencies and community partners BNSF says it maintains the lowest grade crossing collision rate in the industry.

While Idaho is the 14th-largest state in the country, the Idaho portion of the BNSF Railway network exists exclusively within the Panhandle region of District 1, with approximately 130 miles of railway and 91 crossings that stretch between Bonners Ferry and Coeur d’Alene, and from the Washington to Montana state lines.

“It’s not just railroad crossings on state routes that we manage,” District Traffic Engineer Nathan Herbst said. ITD is responsible for all railroad crossings not on private property, meaning there is state responsibility for those occurring on county and local roads as well.

“As an agency, each year we make progress to upgrade more and more crossings throughout the state. Ideally, the goal for ITD is to eventually see some type of active control or signalization at every at-grade crossing in Idaho,” Herbst said.

On average, the cost to enhance these crossings can be anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million, which can come from state or federal funding or through grant opportunities.

“It truly is a team effort between the agencies,” Traffic Engineering Manager Lee Bernardi stated. Every year members of ITD’s traffic team meet with BNSF specialists in the field at various crossings to review them from a safety perspective and work together to decide the best course of action to improve safety.

“We are all experts in our own arenas, so by combining that expertise and insight from the people who are interacting with those crossings on a daily basis, like train engineers who observe fatalities, incidents and near-misses, we are able to anticipate safety risks and create a mitigation plan before a crash occurs,” said Bernardi.

Over the years, enhancements to safety have resulted from physical improvements such as constructing grade-separated crossings and enhanced signalization systems, but what has likely been the most impactful measure of success for ITD has been the meaningful and collaborative partnership with BNSF.

This relationship continually supports timely and effective safety measures embedded within routine transportation projects. It played a key role in the successful bid to secure grant funding for the SH-53 Pleasant View Interchange. That project, slated to begin construction later this summer and ultimately eliminate three at-grade crossings, will completely overhaul the safety dynamic of roadway-railway interactions along the corridor.

In 2023, several projects throughout the district served as a testament to agencies’ cohesive alliance. ITD created and posted safe access points for railway crews while they built a second railroad bridge across Lake Pend Oreille, coordinated to obtain interim railroad permits to keep active construction moving on SH-53 near Rathdrum, and worked together to overcome obstacles with regard to impacted property while expanding US-2 and improving vertical clearance under a railroad bridge in Sandpoint.

A huge point of pride with this award, according to Bernardi, is the fact that it isn’t something ITD was intentionally trying to achieve.

“We didn’t know until about a week ago that we had been selected to receive this award, so this focus on safety and prevention is honestly the organic result of our agencies commitment to the wellbeing of our transportation users and our productive partnership with BNSF,” Bernardi explained.

Add it to the list of things that make our state a wonderful place to live, work and visit—drivers in Idaho can count on peace of mind knowing that safety on our roadways, and railways, remains a top priority for all.

“We are excited at the opportunity to maintain our status as a top contender for this award for years to come and will continue to support ‘Tracking Towards Zero’ with our partners at BNSF,” Bernardi proclaimed.

Impacts to CDA River recreation near Cataldo set to begin as work progresses on I-90 bridges

Aerial view of the CDA river beneath I-90 near Cataldo

As preliminary work continues for the Interstate 90 bridges near Cataldo, crews are installing a temporary work bridge across the Coeur d’Alene River. The bridge will allow personnel and equipment access to the interstate bridges during demolition and construction.

The project is scheduled to extend from 2024 to 2026. For safety, during this time recreational access and use of the river near the construction zone will be restricted for 500 feet on both sides of the bridges.

Starting as early as next week, all marine traffic will be directed to the east side of the river until safe passage beneath the temporary bridge is established. At that time access will be restricted and through-passage on the river will be closed weekly Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the 2024 construction season while crews work above the river. Examples of activities that will be restricted within the work zone include, but are not limited to, boating, kayaking, swimming, tubing, and fishing.

In late fall these restrictions will be lifted and the river will be accessible over winter months.

For both the 2025 and 2026 construction seasons, restrictions will once again be in effect from April through November inhibiting access, use and passage Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Construction will take scheduled breaks during the major summer holidays each season and access to the river will be available for recreation.

Signs will be posted locally at boat launches and access points that will update users of restrictions or changes throughout the construction process.

Ongoing updates for I-90 traffic impacts for this project, and projects all across the state, are available on Idaho 511 by phone, online, or on the app.

North Idaho highways to receive a fresh coat of paint through summer

Vehicles involved in a mobile painting operation

Throughout the months of July, August and September, Idaho Transportation Department striping crews will be laying down a fresh coat of paint on large sections of highways across the Panhandle. The following schedule will help drivers to be aware of upcoming temporary work zones that may affect them and plan ahead. Every year crews stripe hundreds of miles, and on heavily traveled routes like I-90, apply two coats of paint.

JULY

US-95 Byway in Sandpoint

US-95 from Sandpoint to Athol

US-95 from Athol to Coeur d’Alene

SH-41 from I-90 to Rathdrum

US-95 from Coeur d’Alene to the Latah County line

SH-53 from Rathdrum to the Washington State line

Post Falls business loop

AUGUST

EARLY SH-58 from the Coeur d’Alene Casino to the Washington State line

SH-60 from US-95 to the Washington State line

SH-5 from Plummer to St. Maries

MID SH-3 from I-90 to the Latah County Line

SH-6 from the SH-3 Junction to the Latah County line

LATE INTO SH-97 from I-90 to the SH-3 Junction

EARLY SEPT SH-4 from Wallace to Burke

Wallace, Mullan, and Osburn business loops

During striping operations teams are organized into a line of pace cars flanking the paint truck and are followed by a crash cushion trailer to ensure the safety of the crew. This configuration of vehicles travels slowly as they paint the roadway markings to ensure lines that will last through the year. While the paint itself is very bright, retro-reflective beads are also mixed in to help catch and reflect light to improve nighttime visibility.

Pace cars alert motorists of the operation and slow down traffic so drivers do not go over the paint before it dries. It is important for drivers to avoid drifting over the lines on either side of their lane or trying to pass where striping is in progress.

Striping operations occur primarily during daylight hours and are performed in the summer when temperatures are consistently warm enough to ensure the paint dries quickly and adheres securely to the road. Most frequently these operations are carried out during weekdays, but there are occasional needs for weekend work. Crews start as early as 5 a.m. to avoid peak commute times and try to pull off so others can pass where they have room to do so safely.

Drivers who encounter the mobile paint operations are asked to be patient for the safety of motorists and crews, and to follow the guidance of all work zone signs, especially for no passing.

Updated information will be available throughout the summer on Idaho 511.

Idaho Transportation Department seeks feedback on draft seven-year transportation plan

Drone shot of I-90 weaving through the mountains in North Idaho

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is seeking feedback on the just-released draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The ITIP outlines the state’s transportation priorities and guides investment decisions for the next seven years through 2031. ITD encourages everyone to review the draft and provide comments July 1-31.

Transportation projects included in the draft ITIP range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller projects like the installation of new guardrail. Projects are located throughout Idaho’s 44 counties and involve all modes of transportation. Project selection is determined through technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents.

Visit itd.idaho.gov/funding to view an interactive map to learn about projects and submit a comment through the portal.

This draft ITIP shows plans for $6.9 billion in funding, including $200 million dedicated to pavements and $100 million dedicated to bridges each year.

Chief Deputy Director Dan McElhinney confirmed, “With the growth of traffic accelerating the need for improvements and the impacts of inflating costs since 2020, the added annual investment in highway pavement and bridge repairs proposed in this draft ITIP plan will provide the Idaho Transportation Board effective options to consider looking ahead for Idaho.”

Comments can be emailed to itipcomments@itd.idaho.gov, recorded at 208-334-8063 or mailed to:

ITIP – Comments
Attn: Abby Peterson
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID  83707

Paper copies of the ITIP will be available at regional offices and provided upon request by contacting the Idaho Transportation Department at 208-334-4455.

All comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate. Responses will be sent by September.

After approval by the Idaho Transportation Board in September, the ITIP will then be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency in October.

Public input is crucial in ensuring that the ITIP includes the prioritized needs of Idaho’s communities.