Category: North-Central

Construction to resurface six miles of US-95 through Lapwai and Culdesac will begin Thursday, April 23.

Drivers can expect alternating, one-way traffic during working hours. When crews are not on site, no lane closures will be in place.

Work is expected to last two months. During this time, drivers may encounter both daytime and nighttime work.

The highway will be repaved from Webb Road to Aspen Lane in Lapwai and from Mission Creek Road to Old Winchester Grade in Culdesac.

Once the highway is repaved, the driving surface will be smoother. Learn more at itdprojects.org/us95lapwaiculdesac.

Workers from the Idaho Transportation Department and the City of Lewiston will modify the existing signal at 18^th Street and Main Street in Lewiston starting tomorrow (April 21) to improve traffic flow.

The modified signal will feature flashing yellow arrows.  

“This change improves drivers’ mobility by allowing them to turn left after checking for pedestrians and oncoming traffic without waiting for a solid green arrow,” ITD Traffic Engineer Jared Hopkins said.

Work will start at 8 a.m. and will last for several hours, during which time drivers will be directed to treat the intersection as a four-way stop.

Update as of June 22: At this point in time, only the touch points at rest areas at on US-95 south of Midvale and Blacks Creek on I-84 east are being cleaned every two hours. 

Rest areas will stay open to support the delivery of goods and services through Idaho and the nation, with key rest areas to be cleaned more frequently to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

“Rest areas provide an essential service as a respite for truckers,” said Nestor Fernandez, ITD’s mobility services engineer. “While we’re seeing fewer passenger vehicles on the highway, freight services are in full tilt. We have heard from our partners in the trucking industry that they need these areas open, and we are working to meet that need.”

Rest areas at Midvale Hill on US-95 south of Midvale, Blacks Creek on I-84 east of Boise and Huetter on I-90 west of Coeur d’Alene will be cleaned every two hours with a focus on commonly touched surfaces like door handles.

All rest areas are cleaned two times a day, but due to high usage at these locations they will be cleaned more often. ITD is working with vendors responsible for cleaning rest areas to make sure they have the resources they need.

The rest area on US-12 at Lolo Pass on the Idaho-Montana border, which is jointly managed with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), is currently closed.

“Out of an abundance of caution for our employees and the public, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests has made the decision to close the Lolo Pass Visitor Center, including the restrooms, until further notice,” said Jennifer Becar, public affairs specialist with the USFS. “This decision was made in order to best protect the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, and the public, and is consistent with the forest’s shift to only offering virtual services at offices and other facilities at this time.”

For more information on other USFS closures, visit www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater.

Another rest area on eastbound I-84 on the Idaho-Oregon border near Fruitland continues to be closed due to issues with the septic system.

The department is also exploring options to allow food trucks to offer services at remote rest areas to support truck drivers as they continue to deliver goods across the United States.

To check the status of specific rest areas, visit 511.idaho.gov or download the app.

The Idaho Transportation Department has suspended the Adopt a Highway and other volunteer programs to focus on essential services and promote community safety.

Under the program, volunteers adopt a section of highway for two years at a time and commit to removing litter twice a year. These sections are marked by special white and blue signs on the highway.

The department provides volunteers with safety vests, trash bags and road signs but decided to temporarily suspend the program in late March. There were concerns about encouraging large groups to gather and the ability to clean shared items between uses.

Groups are being notified via email and mail of the suspension. Organizations will not lose their adopted sections if they do not meet the required number of pickups this year.

“We appreciate the willingness of our fellow Idahoans to keep our state beautiful by picking up trash but unfortunately have to temporarily halt the program,” said Judi Conner, the volunteer services coordinator. “For the time being, drivers should expect to see more trash as ITD and our volunteers follow guidance to keep our communities safe.”

Other volunteer programs that allow nonprofit organizations to offer free refreshments at rest areas or offer educational presentations to schools have also been put on pause.

ITD aims to support volunteer services again once cleaning supplies are readily available and guidance from health experts changes.

More information about volunteer programs and contact information for program coordinators may be found at itd.idaho.gov/road-mtce.

Trees along US-12 near the Orofino Airport will be removed next week to improve safety for flyers and drivers.

In recent years, the trees have grown taller and thicker, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ask the City of Orofino to remove those that are encroaching on the runway. Some trees are on property owned by the Idaho Transportation Department, which supports their removal to enhance safety by decreasing shade in winter months and improve drivers’ line of sight.

Starting Monday, March 23, crews will start removing trees between US-12 and the airport. They are expected to be on site from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for up to five days. A helicopter will transport the logs to another part of the grounds for processing.

When crews are on scene, the westbound slow lane will be closed. All westbound traffic will be stopped for up to 15 minutes when larger trees with the capacity to reach the road are felled. All lanes will be open when there is no active work.

Work is already underway to remove trees on the north side of the airport. Any questions may be directed to the City of Orofino at (208) 476-4725.

The final season of work on a two-year project to extend the southbound passing lane on US-95 near Winchester another 2.5 miles has begun. It is expected to finish in November.

The first road closure to accomodate blasting activities for rock removal is planned for March 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Blasting is scheduled to avoid peak commute times or weekends and is expected to last for an hour at a time. Drivers should heed digital signs in the area or visit 511.idaho.gov to avoid closures.

Other construction activities will require reduced speeds in the work zone, with crews expected on site during the day from around 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and at nights when needed. No work is expected on weekends at this time.

Last year, blasting made room for 1.5 miles of passing lane to be added in the narrow canyon, and this year that surface will be paved. Of the nine aging culverts in this section, four still need to be upgraded to allow for fish passage.

Trees along Idaho Highway 162 near milepost 20 will be removed in the coming weeks to improve safety for drivers, with work scheduled to start today.

Maintenance crews will gradually remove trees that appear to be dead or dying within this road section. The highway will be reduced to one lane and closed completely for approximately 15 minutes each time a tree is dropped.

Crews are generally expected to work between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The brushing project could take up to two weeks to complete between snow storms, so drivers are advised to pay attention to signs in the area and to check 511.idaho.gov for specific timing of impacts.

This particular section lost several trees during a storm in early February that left one ITD operator injured after a tree fell onto his plow truck as he stood next to it. That employee, while initially released from the hospital after the incident, is still recovering at home.

“Recent events remind us of the dangers of dead trees close to the road,” Foreman Lee Linabary said. “This is one of several sections of highway that has been on the list for brushing activities ever since the 2015 fire near Kamiah.”

An estimated thirty trees will be removed in the initial area, but drivers should expect more trees with the potential to fall onto highways during storms to be cleared along several more miles of ID-162 near Kamiah and ID-62 near Craigmont this summer.