The Idaho Transportation Department will move Interstate 15 traffic Tuesday and Wednesday nights to accommodate girder placement at 2.5 Mile Road Bridge.
Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction and shifted onto the same side of the interstate. Work will be conducted between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour through the work zone.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night on the project to make I-15 three lanes from Northgate to Fort Hall it is especially important that drivers be alert and travel safely.
I-15 serves as a major transportation corridor through eastern Idaho. These improvements will increase capacity and improve safety to serve the region’s growing transportation needs for years to come.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available on ITD’s projects website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i15northgatetoblackfoot.
The Idaho State Police (ISP) and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) urge drivers to make safe, sober choices behind the wheel following confirmation that the at-fault driver in a recent fatal crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry’s Lake had a blood alcohol content of 0.20 — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
The May 1 crash on one of the main corridors to Yellowstone National Park, which claimed the lives of seven people, occurred just as Idaho entered the 100 Deadliest Days — the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic fatalities typically rise due to increased summer travel, holidays, and impaired driving. Law enforcement and transportation officials say this preventable tragedy underscores the consequences of impaired driving.
“This tragedy should be a wake-up call,” ISP Captain Chris Weadick said. “No one plans to cause a crash or take a life when they get behind the wheel, but choices have consequences. Impaired driving isn’t just illegal — it’s deadly. If you see someone unfit to drive, speak up. Lives depend on it.”
Alcohol-related crashes remain one of the leading causes of traffic deaths in Idaho.
“Idaho’s roads are especially busy during the summer,” ITD Operations Manager Bryan Young said. “With more construction, increased travel, and an influx of visitors, we’re seeing more families and more drivers on the road. It only takes one impaired driver to change lives forever. This is a preventable problem, and it starts with each of us making responsible choices.”
DUI Prevention Tips
- Plan ahead: If you plan to drink, arrange for a designated driver, rideshare, taxi, or public transportation.
- Always buckle up: Seatbelts save lives and reduce injuries, though they do not replace the need for safe driving.
This summer, ISP and ITD are partnering to strengthen DUI enforcement and expand public outreach. We ask everyone to help protect lives by staying sober behind the wheel. The public is encouraged to report suspected impaired driving by calling *ISP (*477) or 911 if they observe erratic or dangerous behavior on the road.
Beginning Monday the Idaho Transportation Department will close Chubbuck Road underneath Interstate 15 to add facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians. The underpass was partially completed and opened for the school year, but with schools out for the summer the contractor will be returning to complete work.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month. Traffic will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange while work continues.
The old Chubbuck Road Overpass, built in 1962, made it difficult for large loads travelling north and south on I-15 due to its limited height. As part of the System Interchange project, the department decided to transform Chubbuck Road into an underpass to eliminate height restrictions. The new design includes additional facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Those changes necessitated a closure for demolition in 2022 and the construction of the two newly completed bridges to carry I-15 over Chubbuck Road.
Originally built in the 1960s, the Interstate 86 and I-15 System Interchange is undergoing a rebuild to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure. Work began in 2022 and is scheduled to be completed this year.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night at the System Interchange it is especially important that drivers be alert and travel safely.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available on ITD’s projects website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/i-86i-15-system-interchange.
The Idaho Transportation Department awarded the Adopt-A-Highway Group of the Year Award for Southeast Idaho to J. R. Simplot Company and employees on Friday morning during the board meeting held in Pocatello.
The Simplot team has adopted a section of U.S. Highway 30 from milepost 330 to 332 since 2005. On average, 37 Simplot employees work together twice a year to pick up more than 1,600 pounds of litter. Items they’ve cleaned up have included car hoods, magazines, clothing, and a full box of “creepy-faced” baby dolls. Environmental Specialist Jeanene Lowry and Environmental Manager Jesse King were there to receive the award.
“We would like to thank the ITD, and all program administrators, which have made this program possible,” said Lowry. “The Adopt-A-Highway Program has enriched the Don Plant. The laughter and camaraderie that we have developed while picking up trash has had a lasting and invaluable impact on our employees. We have found the highway cleanup program to be a natural team-building activity that has positively impacted every aspect of production. It has given our Waste Minimization Team additional purpose and focus, especially in support of our ‘think outside the plant’ stewardship and sustainability goals.”
Idaho’s roadsides are indebted to Idaho’s Centennial Celebration in 1990 and the “Idaho is Too Great to Litter” campaign to help keep them clean. The Adopt-A-Highway program is a continuation of that campaign.
Volunteer groups “adopt” a specific stretch of highway – usually two miles long – and take responsibility for keeping it clean through regular litter patrols throughout the year.
ITD estimates that the program saves about $750,000 annually by using volunteer labor – in 35 years that adds up to about $26 million. More than 5.5 million pounds of trash and debris have been removed from Idaho’s roadsides through the program. The savings are redirected to highway construction and needed maintenance to improve Gem State roads and bridges.
There are more than 1,000 active volunteer groups participating in the statewide program. More than half of Idaho’s highways have been adopted. There are still many opportunities for other groups and individuals to get involved. Those interested in helping keep Idaho’s roads clear of litter can apply online at https://itd.idaho.gov/road-mtce/?target=volunteer-activities
The Idaho Transportation Department has begun crack sealing US-91 in Pocatello. Work began Monday on 5th Street and has continued onto 4th Street. Crack sealing north through Pocatello on Yellowstone Avenue will continue as weather permits.
“Once we reach Cedar Street, we will shift to nighttime work to minimize disruption to businesses,” said Pocatello Foreman Anthony Richards. “Other than where the pavement is concrete, we’re planning on continuing north all the way to Walmart.”
The sealant prevents water from entering the pavement causing further erosion and extending the lifespan of the road
Motorists should expect single lane closures in the work zone.
Drivers are encouraged to use the Idaho 511 system for traffic impact updates for this project, and all ITD projects statewide.
The Idaho Transportation Department is hosting an open house on Thursday, March 6, to share information and gather community input about plans to improve U.S. Highway 91 between Siphon Road and Reservation Road to address increased growth.
The public is invited to view preliminary design plans in person from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Tyhee Elementary School at 12743 W. Tyhee Road in Chubbuck. Community members are encouraged to stop by to learn about the project and provide feedback. Project staff will be available to answer questions.
Preliminary design plans currently include:
- Widening US-91 between Siphon Road and Tyhee Road to two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane between Siphon Road and Tyhee Road.
- Resurfacing US-91 between Tyhee Road and Reservation Road.
- Improving residential access in the project area.
Those who are unable to attend in person are invited to view identical project information online and comment from March 6 to March 20 at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us91-siphontoreservation.
“ITD recognizes how vital US-91 is to the Chubbuck area, and we want to be prepared as growth in the area continues,” Project Manager Bo Frasure said. “Input from the community will be essential as we move forward on this project.”
More information about the US-91 Siphon Road to Reservation Road project is available at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us91-siphontoreservation.
The Idaho Transportation Department and its construction partner Wadsworth Brothers Construction is beginning reconstruction of Interstate 15 at Inkom.
Work will replace I-15 bridges in three locations:
- Over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks and Old Highway 91.
- Over Rapid Creek Road (Main Street).
- I-15 bridges and reconstructing the West Interchange.
ITD combined and streamlined the projects to reduce the construction timeline to approximately two years rather than doing one location at a time over three years. This approach minimizes disruption to the local community and the traveling public and efficiently uses construction funds.
Old Highway 91 will be closed under I-15 beginning Monday, weather and other factors permitting, to allow Idaho Power to relocate utilities. Local access will be allowed. Other drivers will be detoured along Rapid Creek Road (Main Street). The detour will remain in place until mid-June.
I-15 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction from early March until late October.
For project progress and to sign up for construction updates, go to the project webpage at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i15-inkom-corridor. Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours.
The Idaho Transportation Department’s $112 million rebuild of the System Interchange for Interstate 86 and Interstate 15 at Pocatello is entering its final year of construction with crews working in multiple areas throughout the worksite.
Five bridges were built in the last year, bringing the project total up to eight new structures. Two of the new bridges are steel and measure 414 feet long each. The other three bridges are concrete and measure a total of 387 feet in length. The construction of these bridges included 725 feet of 8-foot diameter concrete shafts installed underground for bridge foundations. In addition, 10,000 feet of steel piles were also driven underground for bridge foundations.
The massive project registered other impressive statistics in 2024:
- 247,319 cubic yards of dirt moved.
- 143,500 tons of structural dirt imported.
- 4,000 cubic yards of concrete poured.
- 55,894 tons of asphalt placed.
- 568,862 pounds of metal reinforcement installed.
In the coming year several items will be completed to button up the project.
- The new southbound-to-westbound ramp will be completed.
- The old northbound-to-westbound ramp will be removed.
- The temporary southbound-to-westbound ramp will be removed.
- The roadway north of the Pocatello Creek on-ramp will be built to its final grade. This will allow movement from Pocatello Creek to Chubbuck and remove the detour currently in place.
- The new Chubbuck Road underpass roadway will be completed.
- A chip seal will be applied to extend the life of the new asphalt pavement installed by the project, and the road will be restriped to its final lane configuration.
- Bridge approaches will be smoothed out to remove bumps made during construction.
Construction is anticipated to be completed in August.
“We appreciate the community’s patience as ITD continues to work with the contractor to button up work items and complete the remaining tasks for this historic project,” Project Manager Greg Roberts said. “ITD is excited to see the travelling public use this updated system interchange for years to come.”
Originally built in the 1960s, the I-86 and I-15 System Interchange is undergoing a rebuild to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night at the System Interchange it is especially important that drivers be alert and travel safely.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available on ITD’s projects website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange.
