Category: North-Central

CULDESAC— Drivers can expect general maintenance work to begin this week on U.S. Highway 95 between Culdesac and Winchester to preserve the roadway for safety. Maintenance work will take place between mileposts 283 – 286 in the work zone that was set up last year to construct a southbound passing lane.

Repairs this season will focus on improving the surface of the highway by filling in potholes and resurfacing sections of pavement that deteriorated over the winter. Lanes have already been repainted and the speed limit has been reposted to 65 miles per hour.

Primary construction for the project remains on hold while the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) resolves challenges with environmental resources. ITD continues to closely coordinate with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Nez Perce Tribe so that the endangered fish will be better protected when work resumes. Another update will be sent when project work is expected to resume.

“ITD will continue to keep the highway operational in the old work zone and will update travelers when work resumes,” Operations Manager Jared Hopkins said.

Download a photo of US-95 in Culdesac Canyon.

This project is part of a corridor-wide plan to finish building an 11-mile passing lane in Culdesac Canyon to provide safer opportunities for southbound drivers to pass.

ELK CITY– Fuel is once again available for purchase in Elk City.

Signs in Grangeville and Darby that were placed in April notifying motorists about the lack of fuel services in Elk City will be removed.

To get continual updates about weather-related road conditions, road work, commercial vehicle restrictions, road closures, and other travel, please visit Idaho 511. Access it 24/7 on the web at 511.idaho.gov, by downloading the free mobile app or by dialing 511 on your phone.

The Aht’Wy Interchange project on US-95/12 which is near the Clearwater River Casino & Lodge RV Park is currently in its earliest construction stages. After a well-attended groundbreaking ceremony this past April, contractors are getting started and motorists can expect some changes in traffic patterns.

The initial stage will consist of work in the median area to construct crossovers to facilitate traffic needed for future stages. Once this work is complete, the contractor will make changes to the traffic patterns and reconstruct the northbound lanes. During these initial stages, travelers can expect single lanes in each direction. Please drive safe and be mindful of construction workers and equipment working close to the roadway.

The new diamond-shaped interchange will replace current at-grade intersection with an overpass to access the plaza, on the east entrance. This includes additions of deceleration and acceleration ramps for eastbound traffic. As for additional infrastructure, a broadband conduit and pedestrian walkway will be included in the construction.

Download renderings of the design of the interchange.

Updates on the Aht’Wy Interchange Project can be found by visiting https://itdprojects.org/projects/ahtwyinterchange/

ELK CITY, ID – With private fuel services no longer available in Elk City this spring, motorists and recreationists are advised to plan their trips carefully based on average fuel consumption and overall trip mileage.

If traveling east from Grangeville to Elk City, travelers can expect the distance to be over 50 miles one way. State Highway 14 is paved , but motorists are advised to remain vigilant for any falling rocks, trees or other debris caused by spring rains onto the highway.

Signs notifying motorists about the discontinued fuel services are installed at Grangeville and on the Montana side at Darby. Motorists are encouraged to fuel up before driving to Elk City from either side.

If traveling with extra gas cans, federal regulations state gasoline and diesel must be stored in a Department of Transportation approved, properly labeled, closed container, of not more than 5 gallons capacity. Do not transport the container in the passenger compartment of vehicle. The container should be red for gasoline and yellow for diesel and have an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) stamp on it.

To get continual updates about weather-related road conditions, road work, commercial vehicle restrictions, road closures, and other travel, please visit Idaho 511. Access it 24/7 on the web at http://511.idaho.gov, by downloading the free mobile app or by dialing 511 on your phone.

WHITE BIRD, IDAHO – The Idaho Transportation Department in District 2 and its partners will be conducting work on the iconic 811 feet long bridge at White Bird Creek at Milepost 223.7 along US-95. The project is federally funded and valued at $3,084,200. This preservation project is anticipated to start late-April/early May and conclude in early August.

Workers from Royal Bridge, Inc., a Florida based contractor who specialize in bridge services, will be sandblasting and repainting the tall bridge with its original soft-yellow color to preserve the historic aesthetic of the bridge.

The piers of the structure are metal, so they will also need to be repainted to be protected from rust. This maintenance is important for safety, preserving state infrastructure, and extending the lifespan of the bridge.

The public should expect minimal traffic delays. Extra caution is encouraged when crews are working on the upper bridge deck and rails.

“White Bird Creek Bridge is one of Idaho Transportation Department’s signature bridges and our goal is to preserve its condition as long as possible. Replacement of the bridge is cost prohibitive. Painting the bridge’s structural steel will help eliminate rust that will eventually reduce the bridge’s lifespan,” said Curtis Arnzen, Resident Engineer.

The White Bird Creek Bridge was completed in 1975 and is an impressive structure at the bottom of the White Bird grade on US-95 and overlooking the city of White Bird below. It stands at approx. 300 feet tall and connects travelers and commerce from across the state.

For more information please visit https://itdprojects.org/projects/us95whitebirdcreek/

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The maintenance crew at the distant Powell ITD shed in north-central Idaho are quite accustomed to late-night calls. It is not uncommon to hear the radio in the background as they keep an ear out for alarming chatter while ‘off duty.’

The Powell yard is located nearly 90 miles down the scenic US-12 corridor in the heart of the Clearwater/Bitterroot National Forest. It is known by many for both its pristine beauty and rugged terrain that takes you deep into Idaho backcountry.

Unfortunately, a hiker in distress became an emergency call on the radio in the late evening of February 28. The hiker had taken a serious fall during her visit to Weir Creek Hot Springs (pictured below), sustaining major injuries while tumbling down a 200-foot embankment off the edge of the trail and into the creek. Unable to move and in desperate need of help, her companions pulled her from the freezing water to the nearby rocky bank until help could arrive.

ITD District 2 employees Bill Foust and Casey Zeimantz were the first to arrive on scene, followed by Mitch Miller. The response included Idaho State Police Trooper David Wesche, three U.S. Forest Service personnel, Lowell’s Quick Response Team, Idaho County Sheriff Deputy and an ambulance from Kooskia.

The terrain can be described as ‘super steep, narrow and super slick.’ After locating the hiker, Foust, Zeimantz and Trooper Wesche were trying the determine the best way to get down to her at the creek. “I was just glad it wasn’t snowing,” Foust said. “It would have made it even more challenging.”

Foust assisted the injured hiker by keeping her spirits up and performing a basic medical assessment to determine if she could be moved. “It was difficult to assess because she had been partially submerged for so long. She was extremely cold and hypothermic,” described Foust.

Indications were pointing to something broken, like a possible neck or back injury. Caution dictated that she wasn’t going to be moved without advanced medical care and proper immobilization techniques.

The medical team arrived from Kooskia and got her situated on a backboard. “We placed heat packs around her and wrapped her up in thermal space blankets. She couldn’t feel the heat which started to make us nervous,” shared Foust.

Next, a qualified rope team secured her to be carried back up to the trail. Foust estimated that it “took 12 or 13 of us to hoist her out of there inch by inch and with excellent teamwork.”

She was extracted at around 4:30 a.m. and en route to the hospital. Her condition was looking grim, but the team was relieved to get her to advanced care in Missoula, Montana.

A tip of the cap to these gentlemen for their eagerness to assist someone in need and for their professionalism under pressure. It was a delicate situation handled with the utmost care.

As a token of their commitment to safety, D2 Operations Engineer Jared Hopkins and Powell Foreman Richard Baerlocher awarded ITD Safety Challenge Coins to Bill, Casey and Mitch.

Knife River Corporation received the bid for the project that will construct an interchange on U.S. Highway 95/U.S. Highway 12 at the east entrance to Aht’Wy Plaza for $24.77 million.

With a contractor now on board, work could work could begin by mid-May and is expected to take less than two years. The four-lane highway will be separated by concrete barrier and the existing median, turn lanes and acceleration lanes will be eliminated.

Download renderings of the design of the interchange.

“The interchange will allow drivers to safely access the businesses in the plaza without any conflicts with drivers already on the highway traveling at 65 mph,” said Doral Hoff, District Engineer for the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD).

In April the Nez Perce Tribe and ITD had announced the joint project would be delayed due to increased costs of essential materials. To cover rising costs, the NPT and ITD applied for additional funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Department of Tribal Transportation Bridge Funding, which was approved in November. The project will still make use of the original $19 million in FHWA FY2020 BUILD grant funding.

“The Nez Perce Tribe set Aht’Wy Interchange project as a priority for the past 18 years; “Safety” along this corridor has been the primary concern. It is exciting to see this project in Construction Phase!” said Samuel N. Penney, Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee Chairman.

A tentative groundbreaking event is scheduled for April 12th. Learn more and sign up for updates at itdprojects.org/ahtwyinterchange.