Sections of State Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 12 remain closed as part of the ongoing emergency response as several wildfires sparked by Wednesday’s lightning storm continue to burn across North Central Idaho. All lanes on SH-3 are closed from Julietta to Arrow. US 12 remains closed from Spalding to Peck at the time of this release.
For current information, please continue to reference the following sources below:
Status of the fires:
Local sheriffs are responsible for ordering evacuations:
ITD resources and personnel have been mobilized from Coeur d’Alene to Lewiston to assist with the fires. Coordination with county and state law enforcement partners continues as well.
The safety of the public is a priority so please avoid the area. Therefore, only essential travel at this time is encouraged. The department and first responders appreciate your cooperation during this dynamic and evolving situation.
Several sections of U.S. Highway 95, U.S. Highway 12 and State Highway 11 will begin receiving surface treatments as early as Monday. Motorists can expect work zones with flaggers and one lane of alternating traffic. The sections listed below are in the order that work will be performed:
- US-12 from 9-Mile River access (just east of Wilderness Gateway Campground) to the Montana state line.
- SH-11 from Grangemont Road to Headquarters.
- US-95 from White Bird Bridge to near the top of White Bird Grade.
- US-95 from the Goff (Time Zone) Bridge to Riggins.
Each of these sealcoats are anticipated to take between one to two weeks to complete before crews move on to the next section of highway.
Drivers are encouraged to slow down and be ready to stop when approaching a work zone. Delays may range from 15 to 30 minutes. Patience is appreciated for the safety of crews.
Sealcoats are necessary applications that preserve the road and improve the driving surface by waterproofing the roadway and increasing skid resistance for safety. Some additional crack sealing may be performed as part of this restorative maintenance.
Construction will conclude by the end of August. Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.
Motorists can expect improvements at the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and Truck Route Bypass Road at the north side of Grangeville starting today.
A northbound right turn lane and southbound left turn lane will be added to US-95. The turn bays will enhance safety by allowing turning traffic to pull out of the travel lanes to decelerate.
Additionally, about 100 feet of the Truck Route Bypass Road will be regraded to provide a smoother transition onto US-95. Other improvements on the project will include the installation of new culverts and regraded ditches for stormwater transport.
Lane closures with flaggers and pilot car should be expected. The work zone will be short in length and delays should be minimum at 15 minutes.
Construction will conclude by the end of September. Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.
Repairs on State Highway 64 will commence today, following major spring flooding that has closed the road west of Kamiah since April 14.
During the construction, motorists can expect SH-64 between milepost 24 and milepost 30 to remain fully closed. Travelers are encouraged to use State Highway 162 between Nez Perce and Kamiah as an alternative.
Construction includes the installation of retaining walls, rebuilding the road base, and paving. The work zone contains several slide locations that are slated for repairs.
Trucks hauling equipment and materials will need to access the project site from both Nez Perce and Kamiah. Motorists should be aware of this significant increase in traffic during construction.
The Idaho Transportation Department and consultant partners accelerated design efforts so that construction work could be completed by this November.
For more information please visit https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us-64-emergency-repair-project.
Traffic on the U.S. Highway 12 Clearwater Memorial Bridge will switch from the west side to the newly constructed east side of the bridge by the end of this week. Drivers can expect at least two lanes of traffic, one in either direction.
Drivers will travel on the renovated concrete surface while crews shift their attention to the west side. The next stage of construction will mirror what was performed on the east side of the bridge.
With new facilities available on the east side for pedestrians and bicyclists, the shuttle will stop operating after the shift.
The bridge improvements enhance safety and mobility by offering wider travel lanes, shoulders, median and sidewalks. In addition, the new bridge will eliminate current weight restrictions for heavy loads and bring it up to current standards.
Bridge construction will conclude by the end this year. Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov, dialing 5-1-1 or downloading the app.
Work on State Highway 14 west of Elk City will begin Monday to resurface the highway to make it smoother and last longer. As part of the improvements, the shoulder will also be paved to enhance safety for the traveling public.
During construction until the end of June, the highway will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic guided by pilot cars between mileposts 9.5 and 16. Motorists can expect flaggers and moderate delays.
Up-to-date highway information may be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.
Motorists should expect minor traffic changes on U.S. Highway 95 and U.S. Highway 12 at Aht’Wy Plaza near the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge as early as next week as crews prepare to pave the highway and ramps. The ongoing construction will shift in anticipation of paving operations:
- May 13 – May 15: Concrete barrier will be removed in the center and moved to the outside of the traveling lanes. Traffic will be pushed to the outside lanes with one lane in each direction.
- May 18: Paving will commence and take an estimated five days to complete. Traffic will shift from the inside lanes to outside lanes and vise versa. Please note the temporary entrance on the west side of the RV park will close. During this time, motorists trying to head north or south will leave the plaza at the east entrance.
- May 23: Crews will restripe two lanes in both directions. Only one lane will be striped at a time during this switch. Traffic will switch periodically from the fast lane to the slow lane in both directions during the painting.
- May 24: Traffic will be restored back to one lane in each direction. The temporary entrance on the west side will re-open in anticipation of Memorial Day Weekend.
The interchange is scheduled for completion in mid-November and will provide safer access to Aht’Wy Plaza by providing uninterrupted movement off and over the highway.
Live traffic impacts like these can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app
Motorists can expect traffic on U.S. Highway 12 Clearwater Memorial Bridge to be reduced to one lane tonight at 7 p.m. while crews pour concrete for the new deck. Flaggers will allow traffic to take turns crossing the bridge until work is complete mid-morning tomorrow. Delays should be a maximum of 15 minutes.
Drivers should plan for similar delays next week when concrete will be poured for the opposing lane on the nights of May 15 and May 22. Each pour will take several hours to set, and the work is expected to go into the mid-morning hours.
Bridge construction will conclude by the end this year. The new bridge will enhance safety by providing wider lanes, wider shoulders for bicyclists and wider sidewalks for pedestrians. Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov, dialing 5-1-1 or downloading the app.
Motorists are asked to slow down in the work zone for a closed lane near Reisenauer Hill on U.S. Highway 95 south of Moscow as part of ongoing realignment and expansion.
Travelers can expect the southbound right lane to be closed through mid-May with speeds reduced to 35 mph in the two-mile work zone. Intermittent flagging operations, additional lane closures, and other changing conditions will impact traffic.
In early May Eid Road will be closed and restricted to local traffic only for approximately 10 weeks. Construction off this road is the site for two bridges on the realignment.
Once temporary lanes are built around the work area in mid-May, drivers will be able to travel at 45 mph. One lane will be open in each direction.
Expanding the highway to four lanes on a new alignment will not only add capacity and reduce travel times but also significantly improve safety. To learn more about the project please visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us95thorncreektomoscow.
Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app onto mobile devices.
