Beginning tomorrow evening the north-to-west ramp of the System Interchange at Pocatello will be periodically closed to allow for girder placement for a new bridge.
Girders are horizontal steel beams designed to support the bridge deck. As the beams are placed over the northbound to westbound ramp it is necessary to close the roadway beneath for the safety of the travelling public.
Closures are scheduled for:
- Wednesday from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
- Friday from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
- Monday July 22 from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
- Wednesday July 24 from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
- Thursday July 25 from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Traffic traveling north on I-15 wishing to proceed west on I-86 toward Chubbuck will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange.
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 proceed safely through the work area.
While this work continues, weather is a major factor for the timing of closures. Motorists are encouraged to keep up-to-date via https://511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available here on ITD’s projects website —https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange
Debra Gilmore lost an extended fight with cancer on July 1, but even in her final months, she didn’t let the disease keep her from accomplishing a goal she’d had with her “Friends of Riverdale” group since co-founding it in July 2004. During the April meeting of the Idaho Transportation Board, she was on-hand as the group was named District 5 (Southeast Idaho) Adopt-A-Highway Group of the Year.
During those 20 years, the group has picked up approximately 42,000 pounds of litter from their two-mile stretch of State Highway 34 near the landfill. Routes near landfills are challenging because parts of uncovered loads headed to the landfill blow out of trailers and pickup beds, leaving much more than the average amount of roadside trash. Gilmore also paid particular attention to broken glass that could be harmful to wildlife, and items that could start a roadside fire. She even turned in several driver’s licenses to local law enforcement.
The Friends of Riverdale AAH group was created when Debra Gilmore’s father mentioned to his local coffee group that his daughter was taking long daily walks along the highway and collecting bottles and cans as she walked. A friend who worked at ITD suggested she officially adopt the highway so she could access trash bags and protections such as safety vests and roadside traffic signs.
Debra, along with a friend, came up with the name “Friends of Riverdale” in reference to the two founding members’ friendship. Others from the town of Riverdale occasionally assisted in keeping the local highway clean.
Debra is survived by her loving husband (Stephen), two daughters (Rosalind and Corinne) and four grandchildren (Austin, Cameron, Jack, and Isabella).
Stephen said he plans to keep the Friends of Riverdale group active, as that would have made her very happy. He said the Adopt-A-Highway group was very important to her, and that cleaning up litter was a long-term passion of hers. “Even before she ‘adopted’ the highway, she’d always take a garbage bag with her to pick up trash on her walks. It’s just who she was.”
On Monday the Idaho Transportation Department will begin work to repave the northbound lanes of Interstate 15 from the West Blackfoot Interchange Exit 93 to Riverside Canal near the Rose Road Interchange Exit 98. This project will improve safety and the drivers’ experience with a smooth new surface.
During construction traffic will be shifted to the southbound lanes through a crossover. Drivers should expect reduced speeds through the construction zone. The project is expected to take 50 days to complete.
Throughout the course of the project, crews will be milling down the base layer of the highway to fully reconstruct the road base and driving surface. Work includes pulverizing the existing asphalt, excavating and placing new material as a base, and then paving over the top of the new base.
Travelers are encouraged to use the Idaho 511 system for updated traffic impacts through the construction season.
POCATELLO – Beginning tonight and continuing through Wednesday morning, nighttime closures will be in place for a section of Interstate 15 and Interstate 86 at the System Interchange allowing crews to safely place girders for one of the new bridges.
The I-86 eastbound to I-15 northbound ramp will be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights. Drivers looking to head north on I-15 from I-86 will be detoured through the Pocatello Creek Interchange.
Ongoing construction at the System Interchange will improve safety and mobility while replacing bridges built in the 1960s. Work is expected to be complete in 2025.
Motorists should exercise caution while travelling through the construction zone. Those wishing to receive email updates about the System Interchange project can sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/g9MMkN9.
Drivers can also use the 511 app for the latest traffic conditions on all state roadways.
The Idaho Transportation Department is continuing work on the Interstate roadway and bridges from the south Inkom interchange to the Portneuf interchange. Ongoing work includes guardrail repair, paving, and patching and repairing bridge decks. In addition, crews are patching pier caps, applying epoxy overlays, and waterproofing parapets on the Rapid Creek, South Inkom interchange, and Portneuf River bridges.
Work is anticipated to continue through the end of June with single lane crossovers. Drivers are reminded to slow down in work zones, allow other vehicles to merge, and drive defensively.
Replacement of the West Inkom interchange, Union Pacific Railroad, and Main Street bridges are still planned for next year.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) invites the public to an open house on Tuesday to comment on proposed improvements to make U.S. Highway 30 safer and address growing traffic in Pocatello.
Improvements are planned for US-30 between the intersections of Yellowstone Avenue and Oak Street and the Gould Street overpass and Garrett Way.
The open house will be from 5-7 p.m. at the Pocatello Streets Department Office at 2405 Garrett Way.
In 2018, ITD completed a study to analyze safety issues, traffic, geometrics, and community needs. Extensive traffic analyses, stakeholder meetings, and steering committee meetings were conducted as part of the study. The results of the study identified significant corridor improvements. In 2023, design began on the improvements, which address:
- Intersection operation and safety at Yellowstone Ave, McKinley Ave, and Garrett Way.
- An additional turn lane from Gould Street onto Garrett Way to improve signal operations and mobility through the corridor.
- Accesses safety
- Corridor-wide pedestrian facilities
- Stormwater collection
- Corridor-wide landscaping
Construction is scheduled for 2027.
“This is an important project for the traveling public in Pocatello,” Project Manager Kevin Sonico said. “These improvements will address the growth in the area and improve safety by addressing lane utilization issues and capacity issues in the corridor. People can stop by any time on Tuesday to learn more about the project and ask questions.”
For those who cannot attend the public meeting on May 7, ITD will post meeting displays on the project website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us-30-yellowstone-to-garrett-way. Comments will be received until June 5 and can be submitted at the meeting, online or by emailing agumm@jub.com.
Beginning Wednesday evening and continuing through Friday morning, nighttime closures will be in place for a section of Interstate 15 and Interstate 86 at the System Interchange to allow crews to safely place girders for one of the new I-86 eastbound to I-15 northbound bridges.
The I-15 northbound to I-86 westbound ramp will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday nights. Drivers looking to head west on I-86 from I-15 will be detoured to the Northgate Interchange.
Ongoing construction at the System Interchange will improve safety and mobility while replacing bridges built in the 1960s. Work is expected to be complete in 2025.
Motorists should exercise caution while travelling through the construction zone. Those wishing to receive email updates about the System Interchange project can sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/g9MMkN9.
Drivers can also check or download the 511 app for the last traffic conditions on all state highways and freeways.
At approximately 11 a.m. today there will be a rolling roadblock on Interstate 15 between Exit 89 and Exit 93 to allow a power line to be restrung over the interstate. Motorists should expect to be slowed down and delayed about five minutes while travelling through the area.
