Category: North

Starting Tuesday, September 8, work to resurface the interstate from Blue Creek Bay to the bottom of the Fourth of July Pass will once again extend the existing work zone at the bridges over the bay.

Only the westbound lanes will be repaved as the eastbound lanes were finished in June.

“The pavement on this section of I-90 is in poor condition,” said Kyle Schrader, the project manager for paving. “We were able to shift some tasks to nighttime hours and get the ramps done, so this time drivers will only need to plan for a longer work zone and not ramp closures.”

The paving project is expected to last two weeks, and crews on the bridge project will be working to install temporary joints and finish the driving surface until late September.

“We know construction has impacted many travelers on their way to the river or lake, so we’d like to let everyone know that we are in the final stages of work planned for this year,” said Ryan Hawkins, the project manager for the bridge repairs.

A follow-up project to replace the temporary joints with permanent joints has not been programmed yet but is expected in the next few years.

The signal at Idaho Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue has been damaged by a crash and is no longer functional. Crews are on site to flag the intersection and assess the damage.

Drivers should seek alternate routes and check 511.idaho.gov for updates.

As part of ongoing work to enhance safety and traffic flow on US-95 in Coeur d’Alene and Hayden, several changes to traffic signals will be made this week.

The medians at Canfield Avenue and Wilbur Avenue will be closed tonight after 7 p.m. as crews take down the Canfield Avenue signal and turn on the Wilbur Avenue signal.

“These changes will help with the flow of traffic by creating consistent spacing between signals,” Project Manager Carrie Ann Hewitt said. “Currently, the signals are spaced too closely, causing issues when traffic at one intersection backs up into the next.”

Radar detection devices at the Wilbur Avenue signal will be installed tomorrow, and the signal will be connected with others in the corridor next week.

“Until those final connections are made and drivers adjust to the new configuration, delays should be expected on this route,” Hewitt said.

The median at Canfield Avenue will remain closed for the next two weeks as curbing is constructed to prevent drivers on the side street from turning left on to the highway or crossing it. Drivers may make these movements at other signalized intersections, usually about one-quarter mile away.

Before construction ends in late September, a new signal at Miles Avenue will be installed, and turn lanes at Hanley Avenue will be removed and repaved to meet quality specifications.

“Combined with the additional turn lanes and access modifications that are also part of this project, these changes will save time for thousands of drivers who use the highway every day,” Hewitt said.

BOISE – Commerce within Idaho has been improved as restrictions to most legal loads have been reduced for the 538-mile stretch of US-95 within Idaho, which travels through 13 counties from the Oregon Border north to the Canadian Border. This is the result of a multi-year effort by the Idaho Transportation Board, based on information from industry leaders on the need to allow greater ease of commerce on the highway.

US-95 is the state’s primary north-south route, and was established as one of the country’s first national highways in 1926.

Recent improvements to the highway, particularly between Council and Grangeville, have resulted in a reduction of restrictions to the route. Because of those improvements, the highway will now allow up to 53-foot trailers without a permit and permitted vehicle combinations up to 115 feet in overall length, with a 6.5-foot off tracking and weight limit of up to 129,000 lbs.

“These improvements allow all of US-95 to have the same legal and permitted requirements from one section to the next, thus increasing the safety, mobility and economic opportunity for commercial vehicles specifically, and all motorists in general,” said Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Bill Moad.

Previously, permitted vehicle combinations were only allowed in loads up to 95 feet long and a 5.5-foot off track — a 21% increase in allowable length and 18% increase in allowable off-tracking — allowing more freedom in the movement or goods and services while also maintaining a safe roadway.

Off-tracking refers to the different paths that the front and rear wheels take when cornering. The rear or trailer wheels will take a shorter path around the curve, corner or turn. Thus, the driver has to compensate for this by taking the curve, corner or turn wider. So, the 6.5-foot off-track is the difference in the path of the first inside front wheel and of the last inside rear wheel as the vehicle negotiates a curve.

The ramp at Sherman Avenue to head west on Interstate 90 will close on Monday, July 13 to allow crews to replace the westbound bridge over Pennsylvania Avenue. The closure is expected to be in place for three months.

“We have finished the other bridge for eastbound travelers, and now it’s time to switch,” project manager Shannon Stein said. “After looking at the angles needed to merge traffic from the Sherman on-ramp and bring them over to the other side, we decided it was safest to close it.”

Motorists wishing to access westbound I-90 will be detoured to 15th Street. The current detour for the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue that sends drivers to Elm Street to cross underneath the interstate will remain in place.

For drivers traveling on I-90, the two lanes of traffic will be shifted from the westbound lanes to the eastbound lanes and the newly finished bridge. This shift will happen in stages on Friday morning and Monday morning.

Work began in March to ensure continued safe travel by replacing both bridges, which were built in 1960. Replacement of the final bridge is planned for completion in October.

The Idaho Transportation Department is asking for input on the just–released draft Idaho Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP). The 2021-2027 draft ITIP is a seven-year plan of the state’s transportation improvements, and all stakeholders are encouraged to participate.  

Projects can range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller projects like the installation of a new guardrail. In all, the draft ITIP includes projects in all 44 counties and all modes of transportation. Projects were selected based on technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents. 

A complete breakdown of the draft plan can be found at  itd.idaho.gov/funding, as well as an interactive map that allows users to learn about projects by narrowing it down to specific categories and locations.

A few of the major projects in North Idaho include:
 

• – A study in 2021 to develop an environmental document to identify impacts for future I-90 expansion 
• – The addition of a third westbound lane on I-90 between Atlas Road and Government Way and on the Northwest Boulevard exit in 2027
• –A study in 2021 to identify optimal locations for wildlife crossings on US-95 between Grnaite Hill and Sandpoint
• – Several turn lanes on US-95 in 2027 at Mountain Meadows north of Naples, Kootenai Trail/Cabinet Mountain south of Bonners Ferry, West Elmira Road in Elmira and Conkling Road south of Worley
• – Turn lanes and lighting at Idaho Highway 41 and Spirit Bend in Spirit Lake in 2027

• – Flashing beacon at Idaho Highway 53 and Atlas Road east of Rathdrum in 2027

Comments will be taken from July 1-31 and can be e-mailed to ITDcommunication@itd.idaho.gov or mailed to:

ITIP – Comments
Attn: Aubrie Spence
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID  83707  

Paper copies of the ITIP will be provided upon request by contacting Aubrie at (208) 334-8119.  

All comments will be reviewed, incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate, and responses will be sent in August once the comment period has ended.

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. 

Work is now underway on a multi-year effort to improve and expand Idaho Highway 41 from two lanes to four lanes between Post Falls and Rathdrum.

“Expansion will better serve the drivers who use this route every day, which in some sections is nearly 20,000 motorists,” Resident Engineer Ryan Hawkins said. “The existing highway will essentially become the southbound lanes of the new highway, allowing much of the work to be constructed with minimal impact.”

Over the next three years, new lanes will be added to the east of the existing lanes, along with a wide path for bicyclists and pedestrians. Outside of city limits, the lanes will be divided by a grassy median.

An overpass will be built to carry traffic safely over the railroad tracks that cross the highway just north of Hayden Avenue. The other crossing south of Hayden Avenue will be removed. View a rendering of the overpass.

Construction of the overpass will be the first step in expanding the highway, with the northbound bridge completed in spring 2021 and the southbound bridge finished in spring 2022.

Utilities will be relocated or installed this year throughout the corridor to allow for the beginning of paving next spring. For information on staging, download this fact sheet.

“Traffic will continue to run on the current lanes while two new lanes and the railroad overpass are built to the east,” Hawkins said. “Once those lanes are finished, traffic will be moved onto that section while the old section is reconstructed.”

Crews with the primary contractor Scarcella Brothers, Inc. have already started necessary demolition efforts and are now fully mobilized. Email updates will be available throughout construction by signing up at itdprojects.org/id41corridor.

These changes were designed in cooperation with the cities of Rathdrum and Post Falls, and both cities are supporting expansion with funding.

Construction costs for expansion between Prairie Avenue and Boekel Road total $31.5 million, and the other portion between Mullan Avenue and Prairie Avenue will be bid this fall. Over the next seven years, ITD is investing more than $131 million to expand ID-41 between Post Falls and Rathdrum and upgrade the interchange at Interstate 90.

Crews will apply a sealcoat to the surface of US-95 north of Coeur d’Alene beginning Thursday (June 25). Work is expected to slow traffic as a nine-mile segment between Chilco and the county line is treated.

Traffic will be slowed to 35 mph and restricted to one lane on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Before quitting each day, crews will sweep up loose chips and open all lanes. The speed will still be reduced outside of working hours to prevent windshield damage.

This is part of a larger project to sealcoat 16 miles between Dakota Avenue in Hayden and the county line. The southern portion from Chilco to Dakota Avenue is scheduled to start after the Fourth of July holiday.

Sealcoating, also called chip sealing, protects the surface of the road and extends the lifespan of the pavement. A sticky slurry is sprayed on the road, rock chips are applied on top of the slurry and traffic compresses the chips into place for a long-lasting seal.

Reduced speeds are required on fresh chip seals to prevent loose rocks from flying up, causing potential damage to windshields and vehicles.

This work will be coordinated with construction at the Idaho Highway 53 intersection and various intersections in Coeur d’Alene and Hayden.

With a third construction project scheduled to start on I-90 east of Coeur d’Alene this Monday (June 22), drivers should expect delays on their way to access the river or head south on the Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway. These projects will collectively repair several bridges and restore the interstate’s surface, improving safety and the driver experience.

Work to resurface the interstate from Blue Creek Bay to the bottom of the Fourth of July Pass will extend the existing work zone at the bridges over Blue Creek Bay. Include the replacement of the bridge over Pennsylvania Avenue on the edge of town and drivers will encounter miles of orange barrels as they head east.

“Once traffic is crossed over for the bridge repairs at Blue Creek Bay, drivers will stay on that side of the interstate until the end of the paving project at the bottom of the pass,” ITD Project Manager Kyle Schrader said.

Paving near Blue Creek Bay is expected to last for several weeks, and ramps at the Idaho Highway 97 junction will be closed as they are resurfaced. Once construction begins, the eastbound off-ramp will be closed for up to three days, and the eastbound on-ramp will be closed for up to nine days.

“The closest places to turn around will be the Mullan Trail interchange to the west and the interchange at the top of the pass to the east,” Schrader said. “For the smoothest travel plans this summer, drivers should check for construction delays or detours on the 511 app before heading out.”

Download the app by visiting 511.idaho.gov.

Construction on the westbound portion of the project will not begin until work on the Blue Creek Bay bridges switches from the eastbound bridge to the westbound bridge, which is expected in mid-August.

“We will then go through this process again, just in the opposite direction,” Schrader.