The Idaho Transportation Department is launching a safety patrol and courtesy towing service on Friday to assist disabled vehicles and keep traffic moving safely through the Interstate 84 construction zone in Nampa.
The Safety Service Patrol will operate Monday-Friday during the morning and evening commutes:
– 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. between the Karcher/Midland and Garrity interchanges, and
– 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. between the Ten Mile and Karcher/Midland interchanges.
Disabled cars, trucks or motorcycles will be towed to the Jacksons parking lot near the Franklin Boulevard Interchange (1407 N. Franklin Blvd.). Motorists will be responsible to arrange to retrieve their vehicles within 24 hours.
In the event of a crash, emergency services and police must first render medical assistance and gather information for an investigation before the scene can be cleared. Vehicles will be relocated to the Jackson’s lot as soon as that work is complete.
“Our top priority is to keep the I-84 work zone safe for everyone. Even a minor incident, like running out of gas, is likely to cause delay or create an unsafe situation for other people on the road,” said Mark Campbell, ITD’s GARVEE construction project manager. “The Safety Service Patrol will work closely with our state communications office and Idaho State Police to monitor road conditions, report incidents and clear disabled vehicles from the roadway as quickly as possible.”
Although the Safety Service Patrol will be out actively searching for disabled vehicles, drivers can still call 911 or *ISP in an emergency.
Idaho’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to move into the next lane for tow trucks, incident response vehicles and emergency personnel.
For more information about I-84 construction in Canyon County, listen to the Drive Idaho podcast or visit itdprojects.org/84corridor.
Of the many things that Idahoans know a lot about, one of them is how to be prepared. Prepared for the big game, prepared for the campout, and prepared for the road. Whether you’ve lived in Idaho your whole life or are a new resident, it’s important to do everything you can to prepare for an Idaho winter. As the cold weather sets in, so do winter road conditions.
So how do you prepare for Idaho winter travel? We recommend starting by calling or visiting 511.idaho.gov to check road conditions and alerting friends and family of your travel plans (especially if you are traveling through areas with poor cellular service). Take time to review a map and make sure you know your path of travel as opposed to relying solely on GPS navigation which can occasionally be incorrect. Once you’ve checked those things off your list, ensure you are prepared for whatever comes your way by packing a winter car emergency kit.
Keeping a winter car emergency kit on hand won’t just benefit you, but it could come in handy for others you come across while traveling. Here are some items we recommend you include when building your winter car emergency kit:
- Flashlight with extra batteries to use as a light source and signal for help.
- Jumper cables to jump your own vehicle or assist other motorists.
- Tire pressure gauge to ensure you are driving with the optimum inflation.
- Cat litter to use as traction on slick surfaces.
- Small camping shovel to assist with removing snow around tires and tailpipes.
- LED flares to alert motorists of a broken down vehicle or roadway obstruction.
- First Aid Kit for minor injuries and emergencies.
- High protein food and bottled water to keep you hydrated and give you energy should you be stuck for a period of time. If your food items are in cans, make sure you also have necessary items like a can opener and utensils in your kit as well.
- Winter coats and gear such as hats, gloves, etc. to help keep your body temperature up.
- Blanket or a small sleeping bag for warmth in freezing conditions.
Some of the items may seem excessive but if you run off the road, breakdown or simply get stranded during an extreme storm, these items will help keep you warm and safe until roadside or emergency services are able to reach you.
For those that already have a winter car emergency kit in a vehicle, make sure you do an annual check of items to ensure they are in good condition and working order – remember, food expires and batteries don’t hold their charge forever. Also, if you do find yourself stuck in the snow, don’t run your vehicle without first ensuring the tailpipe and up to three feet behind your vehicle is free of snow; this, along with opening your windows, will prevent deadly carbon monoxide from building up inside the automobile.
As a parting note, be sure to replace worn windshield wipers, keep gas in your car and have the proper tires on before driving in winter weather conditions. Keeping all of that in mind, you’ll be well on your way to being prepared for an Idaho winter.
The Idaho Transportation Department is launching the annual winter safety campaign “Idaho Ready” to help drivers prepare for challenging conditions on the state’s highways. This launch comes as winter weather is expected to bear down on much of the state and holiday travel begins.
The campaign offers information via social media and a page on the department’s website to help drivers safely arrive at their destinations.
“Short videos will present information on using Idaho’s 511 Traveler Information system as a resource before heading out on the highway, how to maintain your vehicle during winter months, and driving safely in winter conditions,” said Reed Hollinshead with ITD’s Office of Communication. “Important safety information will be posted regularly to Facebook, Twitter, and the ‘Idaho Ready’ web page. New information this year will address new drivers on Idaho roads — those who recently moved here or have recently been licensed.”
Additional information on winter safety can be found at itd.idaho.gov/road-mtce.
Follow ITD’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IdahoTransportationDepartment, or the department’s Twitter account at IdahoITD.
Drivers are also encouraged to check the new and improved Idaho 511 Traveler Information website at 511.idaho.gov for the latest road conditions and for updates as those conditions change.
11:45 a.m. Oct. 8
During boring operations along Myrtle Street in downtown Boise, a depression formed in a travel lane, prompting a partial closure of the road.
Currently, the right-most lane of Myrtle Street is closed between 2nd and 4th Street. ITD crews are on site investigating the situation and developing a response. Motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are urged to use caution while traveling in the area.
Updates will be posted here as additional information comes in.
2:00 p.m. Oct. 8
Crews investigating the depression in the road have found the cause to be a void in the earth beneath the roadway. This void is estimated to be 3-4 feet deep, and 8-14 feet wide, or about the width of a single travel lane.
The boring work being done in the area is to relocate utilities. Idaho Power received a permit from ITD to complete the work.
The contractor (Idaho Power) will rip up the road surface to survey the extent of the void. Generally speaking, the next steps for the contractor will be to fill in the void with appropriate material and repave the roadway.
4:00 p.m. Oct. 8
Crews have opened up the road to survey the extent of the void. It ended up being less severe than anticipated. The void was no deeper than 18 inches and extended 14 feet wide. The contractor will spend the rest of the day filling in the void and laying a temporary asphalt patch to restore the surface of the road to a smooth driving surface. ITD has directed this work to be complete by 4:00 a.m. October 9th.
ITD will work with the contractor to complete extensive repairs and lay durable asphalt down at a later date.
9:00 a.m. Oct. 9 (final update)
The contractor worked overnight to repair the damage and patch the road with temporary asphalt. The lane was open before the morning rush hour. The contractor is working with ITD to plan a permanent repair at a later date with minimal impact to traffic.
The Idaho Transportatio
n Department has collected the votes and is making plans for three new noise walls along Interstate 84 as a part of a multi-year study of improvements in Canyon County.
ITD proposed four locations for noise walls. Those locations and the results of votes from those who would benefit from them are:
- Along eastbound I-84 adjacent to the Indian Creek Estates – approved
- Along the westbound on ramp at Franklin Road – approved
- Along westbound I-84 between Centennial Way and 10th Ave. – approved
- Along eastbound I-84 between Centennial Way and 10th Ave. – not approved
ITD invites members of the community to ask questions about the project on Oct. 17 at the Caldwell Best Western (908 Specht Ave.) anytime between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
“The decision whether or not to build noise walls belongs to those adjacent owners and residents who are shown to be affected by future traffic noise,” said ITD Transportation Program Manager Amy Schroeder. “ITD’s role is to model the change in noise levels to determine who is a benefited receptor, follow state and federal noise policies, and facilitate the decision-making process,.”
A noise analysis was conducted earlier this year to determine the increase in traffic noise from adding a third lane in each direction on I-84. The next step was to confirm whether noise walls would reduce sound by 5 decibels or more. Human speech ranges from 50 to 65 decibels; traffic noise ranges from 70 to 80 decibels.
The noise study also identified specific properties, or “receptors” that would benefit from mitigation measures such as a wall. These property owners were invited to vote on the walls through an extensive balloting process in July and August 2019. View a map of the receptors.
For a noise wall to be approved, ITD policy states that more than 50 percent of affected property owners must vote “yes.” If the property owner vote is 50 percent or fewer, then affected residents are invited to vote. Resident votes must be greater than 75 percent to overturn the owners’ “no” vote.
The walls will be designed using concrete panels between 12 feet and 16 feet tall.
ITD is investing more than $330 million into Interstate 84 in Canyon County over the next several years. More information about the I-84 expansion is available at itdprojects.org/84corridor and on the Drive Idaho podcast (available on all podcast players).
The Idaho Transportation Department has approved construction of a interim traffic signal at the intersection of Idaho Highway 55 and Brookside Lane to accomodate the Dry Creek Ranch development.
The signal, which will be paid for by the developer Boise Hunter Homes (BHH), is the next step in the development of Dry Creek Ranch. The Department is permitting this signal for the time being to accommodate the vehicles accessing Brookside Lane currently and in the near future. As the development continues to grow, ITD is requiring BHH to construct additional improvements and remove the signal. A similar agreement is in place for the Avimor development to the north.
“ITD’s long-range vision for this section of ID-55 requires the corridor to be free of signals north of Beacon Light,” said Amy Revis, District Engineer of ITD’s Southwest Idaho offices. “We often phase implementation of improvements to meet current and near-term traffic demand, allowing the development to generate revenues which can fund the ultimate mitigation improvements.”
ITD has an agreement with BHH and Ada County that improvements to ID-55 must be constructed at certain stages of growth. This is measured by the number of trips into the development during the evening rush hour. ITD collects the trip data annually. Currently, there are 100 trips per hour.
- At 550 trips per hour, the developer must construct an additional travel lane in each direction on ID-55 from Beacon Light Road to a few hundred feet north of Brookside Ln.
- At 1300 trips per hour, the developer must remove the signal and construct an alternate intersection that allows free-flowing traffic at 55 mph.
With the approval from ITD, BHH is now cleared to construct the signal. No exact timeline for construction has been provided to the Department.
ITD collaborates with developers and local governments to find balanced solutions that achieve the Department’s mission of “Your Safety. Your Mobility. Your Economic Opportunity.”
Several intersections on Idaho 55 will be closed beginning Oct. 1. Construction crews are placing concrete gutters along the roadway. Access at each intersection’s will remain closed for 2-3 days (weather permitting) while the concrete hardens.
What to expect:
- All work will be done during daytime hours.
- Work is anticipated to take approximately two weeks to complete (weather permitting).
- Work will be conducted between Bruneau Hwy. to Edwards St. on the north; Bruneau Hwy. to 9th St. on the south.
- Side streets will be closed to all traffic while work is being done and while concrete hardens. Closures will be staggered.
- Major intersections will be reduced down to one lane, but will remain open at all times. Steel plates will be placed over the gutter work while concrete hardens.
Flaggers will assist with the gutter operations at the major intersections.
The contractor will be placing the next set of girders tonight, Oct. 1. What to expect:
- ID-55 and the Snake River Bridge will be closed for up to 30 minutes each time one of the girders are being placed.
- Sunny Slope Road southbound will be reduced to one lane between Lowell and True roads. The lanes will be restricted from noon to 2:00 am each night to stage the bridge girders.
- Work will generally be done between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am.
- The work will be noisy.
Interstate 84 will be closed overnight between the Karcher/Midland and Northside interchanges on Monday, Sept. 16 through Thursday, Sept. 19. The closures will allow crews to safely remove the wooden forms that temporarily supported the new bridge deck this summer.
- Westbound I-84 will be closed for two nights – Sept. 16 and Sept. 17. Each night I-84 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Eastbound I-84 will be closed for two nights – Sept. 18 and Sept. 19. Each night I-84 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
During the four overnight closures, motorists will exit I-84 at Karcher/Midland or Northside and follow a detour along Karcher Road. Flaggers will direct traffic. View the detour map.
Lane restrictions and flaggers will also be in place on the Northside Boulevard between the ramps each night while crews begin to work on the new bridge.
The new Karcher Overpass is on schedule to re-open later this fall. Reconstruction of the Northside Interchange has begun and will continue through early 2021.
For more information about the reconstruction of I-84 in Canyon County, visit itdprojects.org/84Corridor. To receive construction updates; text 84corridor to 555888. “Drive Idaho,” ITD’s new podcast series on all things I-84 in Canyon County, is available for download on Spotify and Apple Podcast and other major podcast sharing sites.
There will be temporary closures on Idaho Highway 55 at the Snake River Bridge in Marsing while girders are placed for the new bridge.
Girders are large horizontal beams that support the surface of the bridge. Each girder weighs 141,000 pounds and is 148 feet long. Current plans call for girders to be placed overnight on Tuesday Sept. 3, Thursday Sept. 5, Friday Sept. 13, and Monday Sept. 16. This is subject to change.
Sunny Slope Rd. southbound will be reduced to one lane between Lowell and True road. The lanes will be restricted from noon to 2:00 am each night to stage the bridge girders. Placement of the girders will generally occur between the hours of 10:00 pm and 2:00 am. Traffic will be stopped for up to thirty minutes while each girder is placed. Each night up to three girders will be placed.
This work is part of a two year-long project to replace the Snake River Bridge in Marsing The project will improve safety and driving conditions on the bridge, which is the primary river crossing for the area. More information can be found at https://itdprojects.org/marsing55improvements/.
