Category: North-Central

Photo provided by the incident management team/Mike Mussman.

 

A fire along US-95 near Riggins has sparked a partnership between ITD and a Northern Rockies incident management team to enhance safety for travelers in the area.

The fire began near milepost 184 on July 23 and spread quickly through the corridor, according to Molly Cropp, a public information officer for this team of multi-agency professionals mobilized to address long-term incidents.

No structures have been lost, but this human-caused fire is still under investigation and is currently 42% contained. More than 450 emergency management professionals have mobilized into the area, with 12 hand crews, 21 engines and four helicopters working to protect citizens, their homes and the infrastructure they rely on, Cropp said.

That infrastructure includes the highway, which is currently experiencing increased traffic as crews drive between the fire and their base camp at the rodeo grounds north of Slate Creek. Safety concerns for crews, along with low visibility, prompted a meeting between the management team and ITD.

“With the fire initially visible from the highway, there were concerns of collisions between crews and regular commuters, especially with all of the smoke,” ITD north-central Idaho Operations Manager Bob Schumacher said. “We’ve decided to reduce the speed limit from 65 mph to 45 mph for the duration of the fire or until visibility improves.”

Right now travelers should expect large trucks making turns onto, and out of, less-used routes. Cropp, along with Schumacher, encourages the public to remain engaged while driving and to avoid stopping on the highway to take pictures.

“We’ve also been relying on air resources because the terrain around the fire is so steep, and we can’t get people in there,” Cropp said. “The speed restriction through the fire area has been really helpful; our helicopters have been flying over the highway to access nearby lakes.”

This time of year, and especially in this area, it is also important to understand the fire restrictions that are in place and to use common sense.

“Flashy fuels grow next to the highway, so don’t throw any cigarettes out the window,” Cropp said. “What starts as a small brush fire can quickly turn into a big fire.”

To learn more about the Rattlesnake Fire, view daily updates at the InciWeb page.

Plenty of folks fish along the Lochsa River that flows beside US-12 in north-central Idaho, but not many get to electrofish.

Electrofishing is a technique used by agencies such as Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) to safely survey fish. It involves sending electricity into the water to temporarily stun fish to easily capture them with nets.

“It’s a way to sample fish without killing them,” said Joe DuPont, IDFG fisheries manager for the Clearwater region. “It allows us to get our hands on them and learn more.”

At the request of ITD, IDFG recently sent fisheries technicians to electrofish Maggie Creek, which flows under a bridge that is currently being replaced. They were able to collect important data* by surveying the fish before transporting them further upstream.

DuPont said as state agencies IDFG and ITD work together to share resources and expertise to save the state money.

ITD purposefully stages in-water work such as pier removal during a fish window, or a time when impacts to fish will be at its lowest. For District 2, that window is from July 15 to August 15.

“One month can be a tight timeframe for agencies to work within,” D2 senior environmental planner Shawn Smith said. “We appreciate IDFG’s continued partnership as we work to enhance the safety of the highway for the public while limiting impacts to the area’s valued resources.”

Following electrofishing, Smith said crews were able to use cofferdams to isolate a section of the stream without trapping any species. For the remainder of construction, fish will continue to swim upstream unimpeded.

Fish Creek Bridge, which is also under construction, will experience similar efforts by IDFG and ITD in the coming weeks.

*IDFG fisheries technicians found 1 rainbow trout, 13 speckled dace, 16 sculpin, 5 northern pike minnows, 3 suckers and 1 redside shiner while electrofishing.

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.