SH-64 closed near Kamiah due to rockfall, flooding

Picture of a rockslide and flooding on the highway.

Two highways west of Kamiah were closed until further notice due to rockfall and flooding. State Highway 64 is closed from milepost 24 to milepost 30, and State Highway 162 is closed from milepost 14 to milepost 22.

SH-64 and SH-162 closed last night. Besides the significant debris, the road has received structural damage from the washout.

“Crews have been working hard since late last night to clear dozens of debris flows,” Operations Engineer Jared Hopkins said. “Please watch for our operators staffing the barricades and be prepared to turn around or find an alternate route.”

Travelers between Nez Perce and Kamiah are advised to use U.S. Highway 12 and U.S. Highway 95.

Updates on these closures will be posted to 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.

Bridge repair project across North Central Idaho begins Monday

Approximately 10 bridges across North Central Idaho are slated for repair and preservation work this spring, with work first beginning Monday at the bridge on State Highway 6 over the Palouse River near Harvard.

Delays for all of the bridge work this spring will be minimal, but drivers should use caution when crews are working on the bridge decks.

Surface treatments will extend the life and improve the riding surfaces of the bridge decks. Concrete waterproofing treatments will also be applied to various components of the bridges for enhanced preservation.

The bridges are in Latah, Nez Perce, Clearwater, and Idaho counties respectively:

State Highway 14 over the South Fork of the Clearwater River
State Highway 11 over Jim Ford Creek
SH-11 over Orofino Creek
SH-11 over Quartz Creek
SH-6 over the Palouse River
State Highway 8 over Paradise Creek
U.S. Highway 95 over Palouse River
US-95 over the South Fork of the Palouse River
US-95 over Cow Creek
US-95 over Paradise Creek

Construction will conclude by the end of June. 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.

Community invited to learn about new studies on US-95 and SH-8 in Latah County

Aerial view of Moscow taken from a drone.

The Idaho Transportation Department will host a series of public meetings this month about two new planning environmental linkages studies on U.S. Highway 95 and State Highway 8. The purpose of these studies is to determine purposeful investments in the transportation network to improve safety and mobility and serve the communities and regional economic needs on US-95 between Snow Road and the Latah/Benewah County line, and on SH-8 between the Washington state line and Troy. Community members are invited to meet with the study team, review and comment on the draft Purpose and Need Statements, and provide suggestions for potential improvements.

The meetings will take place:

Tuesday, April 9 from 4:30 – 7 p.m.
- Potlatch Jr.-Sr. High School, Multipurpose Room (130 6th St., Potlatch ID)
Wednesday, April 10 from 4:30 – 7 p.m.
- Best Western Plus University Inn (1516 West Pullman Rd, Moscow ID)
Thursday, April 11 from 4:30 – 7 p.m.
- Troy Elementary School, Gymnasium (103 Trojan Dr., Troy ID)
Online, from April 9 – 23
- Please visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/sh8-us95-pel

“Community input is a fundamental part of this early process,” said ITD Project Engineer Janet Zarate. “This is just the first of many opportunities that will be available to the community to participate and provide feedback on these projects.”

ITD will use community input to help identify and develop potential improvements and alternatives for the study areas. ITD will host another series of public meetings to share those ideas in early 2025.

More information about the studies is available at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/sh8-us95-pel.

Construction begins on US-12

Starting next week travelers on U.S. Highway 12 east of Lowell should expect to encounter construction as crews resurface and widen nine miles of the highway to include shoulders.

Work will take place between the Lochsa Ranger Station and Holly Creek and will conclude in mid-October. This is the final phase of the project.

Tree removal will start as early as Monday in preparation for widening.

Throughout construction the highway may be reduced to one lane with possible delays up to 30 minutes. Watch carefully for flaggers or pilot cars. Additional instructions for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate through the work zone will be shared in a separate announcement closer to the summer.

Click here to view a map of the project.

Live traffic impacts can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. You can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app. For information on this ITD project, check https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us12rangerstationtoholly.

Nine ITD snowplows hit so far this winter season

Winter weather has brought snowy driving conditions to much of Idaho. Unfortunately, the rise in snowy road conditions has also led to a sharp rise in snowplow strikes. Nine Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) plows have been hit so far this winter season. Five strikes happened over the last seven days.

Two of the most recent strikes happened this Wednesday in the Magic Valley, one on I-84 north of Twin Falls, and one on I-84 west of Wendell. Both involved a semi truck rear-ending a plow. The vehicles will be out of service for up to two weeks while they undergo repairs.

“It’s a major impact on maintenance sheds when equipment is taken out of service. We are limited on snowplows,” Jerome Foreman Brian Davidson said. “It makes it more difficult to keep roads clear.”

Another recent strike happened on Tuesday in Nampa. The plow was heading eastbound on I-84 near Karcher Road. A pickup pulling a trailer merged onto the interstate and lost control. The trailer swung out and hit the ITD vehicle’s wing plow. There was no lasting damage to the snowplow.

ITD wants to remind drivers how to be safe around snowplows.

Do not pass a plow on the right. Plows have a 10-foot extendable wing plow on the right side that may be difficult to see in snowy conditions.
Provide ample space for plows to work and steer clear of their blind spots. This also means increasing your following distance behind the plow.
Practice patience and stay behind the plow for the safest road conditions.
Plows often operate in pairs to clear multiple lanes; never position yourself between tandem plows.
In case of a crash or if you need to stop on the side of the road, stay inside your vehicle for both your safety and that of our plow operators.

Last winter, there were 17 plow strikes, a number ITD does not want to repeat. Please be careful driving and mindful of our plows. Check 511.idaho.gov or the Idaho 511 App for road conditions before traveling. For more winter driving tips, visit itd.idaho.gov/travel.

*For real-time updates and photos of plow strikes, visit ITD’s Facebook or X pages.

Expect construction to US-95 bridge near Potlatch

The Washington Idaho Railroad on US-95 near Potlatch.

Tomorrow crews will work on the bridge on U.S. Highway 95 over the Washington Idaho Railroad near Potlatch. The deck will be ground down for a smoother traveling surface and be completed by the end of the day.

One lane in each direction will be open to traffic, but motorists will not be able to pass. Flaggers will be in place to help drivers turn off and on to State Highway 6. Drivers can expect delays that are under 15 minutes.

Live traffic impacts can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. You can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.

US-95 Aht’Wy Interchange shifts into new traffic pattern on November 16

Picture of the new pavement at the Aht'Wy Interchange project

Fall construction is progressing at the Aht’Wy Interchange on U.S. Highway 95 near the Clearwater River Casino & Lodge RV Park, and motorists should expect a new traffic pattern starting Thursday, November 16.

Drivers will be able to travel on newly paved lanes, with eastbound traffic no longer crossed over to the westbound lanes. A concrete barrier will divide both lanes. Single lanes remain for each direction of travel and the speed limit is lowered for continual safety.

Changes will not affect either entrance to the plaza. At the west entrance, drivers are still unable to turn left from US-95 into the plaza or turn left from the plaza onto US-95.

To see a graphic for access to and from the plaza, please continue to reference this handout.

Construction will continue through the winter, and the project will remain in this traffic pattern until late spring next year. The Idaho Transportation Department and construction partners appreciate the public’s attention to these changes and continued vigilance towards safety.

The Aht’Wy Interchange will allow vehicles and pedestrians to safely cross the highway without impeding the primary flow of traffic. The interchange will feature ramps to connect plaza entrances to US-95. The project is expected to take less than two years to complete.

Updates on the Aht’Wy Interchange can be found by visiting https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/ahtwyinterchange.

Public invited to provide input on plans to replace US-95 and US-12 bridges over Clearwater River

The Idaho Transportation Department is hosting a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8, for the community to learn more, ask questions, and provide input for studies underway to replace two aging bridges east of Lewiston.

The public meeting will share preliminary design plans for the Spalding Bridge on U.S. Highway 95 and the Arrow Bridge on U.S. Highway 12. The meeting will be open-house format for the community to drop in between 4 and 7 p.m. at the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge at 17500 Nez Perce Road in Lewiston. Information about the process, goals, benefits, proposed design features, and timelines for the two bridges will be provided. No formal presentation will be given; however, the project team will be available to answer questions.

A self-guided virtual meeting, with the same information as the in-person experience, will also be available at the project website starting Nov. 8. The feedback survey to provide formal comment during these environmental studies, also available on the project website, will be open through Nov. 22.

“These bridges were built over 50 years ago and are an important part of the regional transportation network,” Project Manager Mark Campbell said. “We want this public meeting to be an opportunity for the community to engage in the early project phases to create safe solutions for the future.”

The environmental studies are the first step in the process of upgrading each bridge and their associated highway intersections to meet future traffic needs as well as current design and safety standards. In some cases, shoulders on the bridges are either too narrow or do not have proper height clearances.

Public feedback throughout the study process will be used alongside evaluations of environmental and cultural impacts and considerations to secure an approved National Environmental Policy Act document.

Future steps include detailed designs and construction. Construction is not currently funded for either bridge.

Join the project team at the public meeting or visit the website at itdprojects.org/clearwatercrossings to view the virtual meeting, complete the survey online, and sign up for updates.

Lane closures on the US-12 Clearwater Memorial Bridge

LEWISTON – Construction on the Clearwater Memorial Bridge will begin on Monday, September 18, and will close two lanes, leaving just one lane open in each direction.

Work over the next two years will widen the lanes, shoulders and sidewalks. Repairs will also bring the bridge up to current weight-rating standards to allow vehicles with heavier and wider loads to safely cross the bridge.

Starting on Monday only the sidewalk on the east side of the bridge will remain open. In early October, both sidewalks on the bridge will then be closed for eight months.

While both sidewalks are closed, a 24/7 shuttle will be available to transport pedestrians and bicyclists from one end of the bridge to the other. Shuttle users can access services at Locomotive Park or Liberty Mart North.

Click here to download additional information on the shuttle.

Travelers are encouraged to use other routes or leave extra time in their commute when congestion may be at its highest.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we enter the construction phase,” Resident Engineer Curtis Arnzen said. “Having a wider, stronger bridge will enhance safety, functionality, and economic opportunity in the region.”

For more information about the project, please visit itdprojects.org/us12memorialbridge/.

Reminder: Open house for US-12 Clearwater Memorial Bridge will be held September 12

Clearwater Memorial Bridge Improvements Open House

LEWISTON — As a reminder, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will host an open house for the community to learn more about the U.S. Highway 12 Clearwater Memorial Bridge improvements on Tuesday, September 12 from 2- 7 p.m. PST at the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming deck construction beginning in mid-September.

ITD will share renderings of the bridge improvements and have staff on hand to expand on impacts to the traveling public. The department’s goal is to safely accommodate drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclist during construction.

View one of the renderings.

For more information about the project please visit itdprojects.org/us12memorialbridge.