Category: North-Central

US-12 winds its way through the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and along the banks of the Lochsa River in north-central Idaho, serving as a scenic gateway to a range of outdoor activities from bicycling to rafting.

This summer, recreationists will see lines of orange barrels as the Idaho Transportation Department oversees the construction of $17 million in safety improvements.

Four projects to replace two bridges and repave 50 miles of the remote highway will likely delay the average traveler nearly two hours between Kamiah and the Idaho-Montana border. Given the impacts, project managers have strived from the beginning to be responsive to community concerns and to look at the corridor in its context.

As the project manager for three of the four projects, Janet Zarate has been at the forefront of brainstorming strategies to minimize effects where possible. With the help of her supervisor Joe Schacher, they’ve initiated an innovative partnership between contractors, a rafting company and ITD.

“This route is very popular among cyclists,” Zarate said. “It was important throughout the process to consider our impacts on this group, and by thinking outside of the box, I think we’ve found a way to do that.”

Zarate and Schacher worked with Knife River, the contractor of the paving operations, to come up with some creative ideas to mitigate construction impacts to this particular group.

With paving work underway, cyclists would be faced with long work zones and a highway crowded with drivers anxious to get on their way. Knife River suggested using school buses to load these two-wheeled travelers with their equipment, but Schacher posed a different solution: offer a daytime biker shuttle, operated by a local rafting company, to give them a respite by transporting them safely through the work zone.

Just last week, Three Rivers Rafting of Lowell accepted the offer.

“This partnership makes sense because at this time of year, the river doesn’t run as high, and there are fewer rafters,” Schacher said. “During their season, these companies routinely shuttle their customers up and down the river, and we didn’t see a reason for that to end this year. They have the right equipment, and we can give them an opportunity to economically benefit from construction.”

This partnership is not the first involving this project—ITD engineers have frequently met with local stakeholders, including the U.S. Forest Service as they prepare to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

“This highway means a lot to our stakeholders, whether they access it to go hiking, fishing, biking or just to enjoy the scenery,” Schacher said. “Knowing that, we’ve worked with others to be as conscientious as possible while planning and managing construction in the corridor.”

An oversize load went off US-12 last night (Aug. 2) at milepost 114 just west of Fish Creek Bridge.

There are no extra delays or restrictions through the corridor right now, but in the coming days a full closure will be announced to allow crews to remove the load. At this time the date and the duration of the full closure is unknown but is expected within the next week.

ITD will post updates via 511, signage, the project website and the corridor newsletter.

Idaho Highway 13 near Harpster will be closed Thursday night (Aug. 2) to allow contractors to remove a truck-mounted crane from a ditch.

The crane went off the roadway at milepost 14.2 more than a week ago. It is estimated to weigh 37 tons and will take two cranes positioned on the roadway to haul out of the ditch.

The closure will start at 7 p.m. Thursday night and is anticipated to last until 9 a.m. Friday morning. A detour will be posted.

For the latest on highway closures, check 511.

Update as of July 16: Idaho Highway 11 between Greer and the top of Greer Grade will not be sealcoated this week. Crews will move on to Idaho Highway 11 from Weippe to Grangemont Road while the Greer Grade portion is rescheduled.

To extend the life of previously completed highway projects, sealcoats will be applied to several highways throughout the region starting July 9. The newly-treated surface helps preserve the pavement and provides for better vehicle traction.

When sealcoats are applied, roadways will be reduced to one lane. Motorists should anticipate short delays and watch for the presence of pilot cars.

Sealcoating is a roadway surface treatment best applied during the hot and dry months of summer when chips of aggregate will properly adhere to an oil layer deposited on the highway.

Drivers are cautioned to slow down and pay attention within the work zones, as chips placed during the sealcoating process have the potential to cause windshield damage.

Crews will begin applying sealcoats in the order below:

• July 9: Idaho Highway 8 from Moscow to Troy (11.7 miles)
• July 12: Idaho Highway 8 from Deary to Bovill (10.2 miles)
• July 16: Idaho Highway 11 from Greer to the top of Greer Grade (8 miles)
• July 20: Idaho Highway 11 from Weippe to Grangemont Road (11 miles)

All sealcoats are expected to be completed by the end of July.

To extend the life of previously completed highway projects, sealcoats will be applied to several highways throughout the region starting July 9. The newly-treated surface helps preserve the pavement and provides for better vehicle traction.

When sealcoats are applied, roadways will be reduced to one lane. Motorists should anticipate short delays and watch for the presence of pilot cars.

Sealcoating is a roadway surface treatment best applied during the hot and dry months of summer when chips of aggregate will properly adhere to an oil layer deposited on the highway.

Drivers are cautioned to slow down and pay attention within the work zones, as chips placed during the sealcoating process have the potential to cause windshield damage.

Crews will begin applying sealcoats in the order below:

• July 9: Idaho Highway 8 from Moscow to Troy (11.7 miles)
• July 12: Idaho Highway 8 from Deary to Bovill (10.2 miles)
• July 16: Idaho Highway 11 from Greer to the top of Greer Grade (8 miles)
• July 20: Idaho Highway 11 from Weippe to Grangemont Road (11 miles)

All sealcoats are expected to be completed by the end of July.

Repairs to Idaho Highway 5 near Plummer will begin the week of July 9.

Construction will fix damage caused by a March 2017 landslide at milepost 5.8. Crews will remove and replace unstable material below the highway. New material is designed to anchor the hillside and prevent future landslides.

Travelers can expect short delays while flaggers and signals guide traffic through the one-lane work zone. Crews will typically be on site every day but Sunday.

Construction will last two months. Check 511 for the latest traffic updates.

Fifty miles of US-12 will be paved this summer to improve mobility and safety in the area, with work set to start on the first section during the week of July 9.

The 27-mile section between Tumble Creek and Saddle Camp Road will be resurfaced first, followed by the 23-mile section between Warm Springs and the Idaho-Montana border, which is expected to begin in August.

The highway will be reduced to one lane during both paving projects, with flaggers and pilot cars in place to guide traffic through work zones. A daytime shuttle service will be provided to safely transport bicyclists through the longer work zones. Once a schedule is finalized, it will be published on the project website and the corridor newsletter.

Paving operations are anticipated to take place at night to minimize impacts to the traveling public, but travelers should expect flagging operations and delays during the day.

During construction, travelers on US-12 between Lowell and the border should plan for delays up to two hours, as other projects to replace Fish Creek and Maggie Creek bridges are already underway. Due to the remote location and length of the work zones, travelers are also advised to fill up their gas tanks before driving through construction.

Construction for all US-12 projects will conclude this summer, bringing nearly $17 million of much-needed infrastructure and safety improvements.

To learn more and to subscribe to updates, visit itd.idaho.gov/US12. For immediate construction impacts on this and other routes, visit 511.idaho.gov.

Continued development of an ATV trail from Elk City to Avery led to recent collaboration between multiple partners in north-central Idaho. Called the Gem Trail, this path for off-highway vehicles will stretch about 240 miles by next summer, connecting rural towns to economic development by improving available recreational opportunities.

The Clearwater Basin Collaborative (CBC) first proposed the trail to take advantage of the existing network of roads and paths in the area to revitalize rural towns. Randy Doman, a co-chair for the recreation subcommittee, said the trail has been years in the making, with progress dependent on partnerships.

“This trail is about working with locals and working across boundaries,” Doman said. “We’re setting up the backbone for future trails in the region.”

Last year, Doman approached ITD’s Craigmont maintenance foreman Lee Linabary about working with a local property owner along US-12 just east of Kooskia to build a ramp within the department’s right of way to help riders safely access two separate legs of the trail.

Before various partners came together, the two sections were divided by the highway, which ATVs are not legally allowed to ride on, at the East Kooskia Bridge.

Property owner Jim Pankey agreed to give Idaho County 50 inches of his right of way near the highway, allowing riders to cross the river and travel in a roadside ditch before using a new ramp to cross the highway and continue on the trail.

“I was happy to work together to not only bring recreational and economic opportunities to our area but to also promote safety,” Linabary said.

Linabary reused material from nearby ditching activities to build the 60-foot ramp to connect the highway to the ditch 17 feet below.

Construction took half a day but will enable future riders to avoid driving on the road, which has a speed limit of 55 mph, to continue on the trail.

Other entities, such as the Kidder-Harris Highway District, also contributed to this segment of the route by moving material.

Doman said the CBC aims to have the trail signed in accordance with U.S. Forest Service regulations so that approximately 120 miles of the trail will be open between Elk City and Pierce in the fall.

Read more about the trail here.

Construction to repair US-12 in Lewiston and US-95 in Moscow will begin the week of June 25 and is expected to last until mid-August.

Repairs will reduce rutting and create a smoother ride for travelers on US-12 in Lewiston from the Memorial Bridge to the Rose Garden, as well as through the town of Moscow on US-95/Jackson Street.

In Lewiston, one lane in each direction will remain open, and in Moscow, crews will keep at least one lane open. Drivers will still be able to access businesses during construction.

ITD will host an open house in Moscow at the city hall on June 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests may arrive at any time to learn more about construction details.

Any members of the public with questions about the Lewiston project can contact the project manager, Marvin Ramirez, at marvin.ramirez@itd.idaho.gov or (208) 799-4229.

Update as of May 25 at 2:50 p.m.

ID-162 is expected to be fully opened to two lanes this evening. The precipitation last night washed away the shoulders but did not affect the integrity of the highway.

Crews will place material around the exposed guardrail to stabilize it and will add material to roadside ditches, which were eroded into steep drop-offs during the storm.

The area near the guardrail will be coned off until next week when repairs will be finished. Crews will continue to monitor the area.

Original Story (May 25 at 10 a.m.)

Crews are mobilizing to assess and fix damage to Idaho Highway 162 near Lawyer Creek (milepost 5.5) after heavy precipitation last night. At this time, the highway remains closed and there is no anticipated timeframe as to when it will reopen. Crews are working to open the road as soon as possible.

Heavy precipitation caused a tributary of Lawyer Creek to overflow and wash over the highway, depositing debris in both lanes and compromising the guardrail on a steep embankment. Although little debris remains on the highway, weight from traveling vehicles could cause the roadway further damage and make it unsafe for continued use.

Heavy rainfall is expected again tonight. ITD will post after-hours updates on 511, as well as their Facebook and Twitter accounts (@IdahoITD).

Even in the summer, severe weather events can wash debris onto roads; motorists are encouraged to be alert after heavy precipitation, especially while driving on routes along steep hills or rocky cliffs.