Chubbuck and ITD will partner to replace damaged signal cabinet at Chubbuck/Yellowstone intersection Sunday

CHUBBUCK – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will partner with the city of Chubbuck to replace a damaged signal cabinet at the intersection of Chubbuck Road and Yellowstone Avenue (US-91) on Sunday, August 11.

The signal cabinet to be replaced was heavily damaged last winter due a car accident. The cabinet was in working condition, though, and has been used until this replacement.

Work is expected to take just one day, beginning at 5 a.m.

The traffic signal at the intersection will be turned off until the replacement is complete. Appropriate traffic control will be set up and flaggers will be present to direct traffic.

ITD advises drivers to pay attention to the traffic control and please use an alternate route until the project is complete.

I-15 traffic to be diverted Tuesday and Wednesday night as girders are set for new Northgate Interchange

POCATELLO – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will divert Interstate 15 northbound traffic onto US-91 on Tuesday night, August 6, while girders are placed at the new Northgate Interchange from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Drivers will exit on Interstate 86 at Exit 61 (Chubbuck interchange) and re-enter I-15 at Exit 89 (South Blackfoot Interchange). Pictured are pillars used to hold the girders.

Traffic control will continue for those same hours Wednesday night, August 7, as ITD diverts southbound traffic on US-91. Drivers will exit I-15 at Exit 89 and re-enter at Exit 61 on I-86. ITD will also have traffic control set up at the Fort Hall Interchange to divert traffic as needed.

Girders are the massive concrete structures that will support the new bridge. The contractor will be placing 12 girders each night, 24 total, that are 85 ft. long and weight 120,000 lbs. each.

This work is part of a year-long project to construct the new Northgate interchange on I-15. The project is expected to be completed in late fall 2019.

Open house will feature plans for new roundabout at I-86B/SH-39 intersection in American Falls on Aug. 1

AMERICAN FALLS – The Idaho Transportation Department has invited members of the community to review plans for a new roundabout at the intersection of Pocatello Avenue (I-86B) and State Highway 39 at an open house on Thursday, Aug. 1.

The drop-in event will run from 4 to 7 p.m. at the American Falls District Library (308 Roosevelt St.).

In response to concerns about safety and operations, ITD considered many alternatives for improving the intersection. Each alternative was evaluated based on factors such as cost, traffic capacity, delays, safety, right-of-way needs and community input.

Community members were invited to give comments at a series of workshops in 2018.

“We would like to thank every person who participated in the design process,” said ITD Engineering Manager Dan Harelson. “We received valuable input that helped us ensure the new intersection will serve both commercial and local traffic.”

The new roundabout will allow a continuous flow of traffic without requiring drivers to wait for a light or a stop sign. A video of a similarly sized roundabout, as well as background materials about this project, is available at https://itdprojects.org/pocatelloave_i86b.

Construction is expected to begin in 2022.

Rose Road Interchange (Exit 98) will be closed on Friday, July 26 for paving

POCATELLO – The Idaho Transportation Department will close the Interstate 15 Rose Road Interchange (Exit 98) for paving on Friday, July 26 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The northbound and southbound off-ramps will also be closed during this time.

Construction includes widening the Rose Road overpass and increasing its vertical clearance; reconfiguring and lengthening the interchange ramps; and replacing two canal structures to support current traffic loads.

Traffic will detour around the closure and will be notified with digital messaging boards prior to the closures.

This ongoing reconstruction of the interchange at Rose Road (Exit 98) is expected to be completed in late 2019.

More information about the project is available at itdprojects.org/rose. Community members may sign up for email updates by texting INTERSTATE 15 to 22828 or emailing I-15construction@itd.idaho.gov.

Interstate 15 traffic restrictions planned during July 14 girder placement at Rose Road Interchange (Exit 98)

POCATELLO – The Idaho Transportation Department will move interstate traffic to the southbound side of Interstate 15 on Sunday, July 14 while girders are placed at the Rose Interchange (Exit 98). Girders are the massive concrete structures that will support the new bridge.

Traffic will be shifted starting at 6:30 a.m. The off-ramp and all lanes of I-15 will reopen by 8 p.m.

The contractor will be placing five girders that are 117 ft. long and weigh 140,000 lbs. each.

I-15 will be reduced to one lane in each direction. The northbound I-15 off-ramp at Rose Road will be closed. Traffic will be detoured to Exit 93 and will be notified with digital messaging boards prior to the off-ramp closure.

This work is part of a year-long project to reconstruct the interchange at Rose Road (Exit 98) on I-15. Construction includes widening the Rose Road overpass and increasing its vertical clearance, reconfiguring and lengthening the interchange ramps, and replacing two canal structures to support current traffic loads. The project is expected to be completed in late 2019.

More information about the I-15, Rose Road Interchange project is available at itdprojects.org/rose. Community members may sign up for email updates by texting INTERSTATE 15 to 22828 or emailing I-15construction@itd.idaho.gov.

I-15/I-86 junction to the Fort Hall Boundary project finishes ahead of schedule before the Fourth of July

POCATELLO – All northbound and southbound lanes will open Tuesday, (July 2) on Interstate 15 from the I-15/I-86 junction north of Pocatello to the Fort Hall boundary, as the project has been completed earlier than anticipated.

Not expected to be completed until the end of July, Western Construction has finished the approximately four miles of roadway rehabilitation early, before the holiday weekend.

The Northgate Interchange project also will continue toward completion by the end of October. The speed limit will be maintained at 65 mph throughout the construction zones.

Please check 511.idaho.gov for current road conditions as you travel.

City of Chubbuck and ITD partner to make safety improvements on US-91 in Chubbuck

CHUBBUCK – The city of Chubbuck and the Idaho Transportation Department have partnered to make safety improvements at the US-91 Yellowstone and Bullock Street intersection.

The city plans to start improvements around 5 a.m. on Sunday (June 23) and finish by early afternoon the same day.

The city’s safety improvement plans are to install traffic separators in the median from Breneman Street to the Chubbuck Interchange, which will make the intersection right-in, right-out access.

The Bullock Street & US-91 intersection is rated the 13th-highest crash location in the State of Idaho as of 2017. The need for safety improvements at this high-traffic intersection and for this section of roadway is a high priority for ITD and the city of Chubbuck.

Motorists are encouraged to check 511.idaho.gov for roadway information.

Child Pedestrian Safety projects start in spring

BOISE – A dozen sidewalk and pathway projects benefiting child pedestrian safety will be built this year across the state beginning this spring.

There were 71 eligible project applications requesting more than $12M in funds to consider in this year’s funding cycle (there was just $2M in funding available). The maximum award is $250,000. Construction must be completed before the end of the year.

The projects are thanks to collaboration between the Idaho Transportation Department and the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, after a legislative effort last year. They are funded with general fund surplus money approved by the Idaho Legislature during the 2017 session.

The following 12 projects were approved for funding:

Location Amount
Ashton $250,000
Title: Main Street sidewalk improvements
Description: This project will provide new sidewalk and lighting improvements along Main St. (ID-47) to connect with the existing pedestrian system at the high school.

Blackfoot $171,000
Title: Ridge Crest Elementary Safety Improvements Project
Description: This project will provide a 575-foot section of sidewalk along Airport Road to extend the sidewalk from Ridgecrest Elementary to the park. Additional safety improvements include a pedestrian crossing at East Airport Road.

Burley $191,000
Title: Highland Avenue and East 19th Street Sidewalk Connection
Description: This project will provide nearly a half-mile of new sidewalk and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant ramps that connect two schools along Highland Avenue. The schools are White Pine Intermediate and Dworshack Elementary.

Caldwell $109,446
Title: Sacajawea Elementary School Project
Description: This project will provide new sidewalk, updated ADA curb ramps, bike lanes, and streetlights, and a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon along Illinois Avenue to provide a safe route to school for children travelling to Sacajawea Elementary.

Carey $154,640
Title: Crosswalk Signage and Pedestrian Improvement Project
Description: This project will provide new curb, gutter, and sidewalk along ID-26 and a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon to provide a safe crossing for pedestrians walking across the state highway.

Driggs $125,000
Title: South 5th Street Pathway
Description: This project will provide approximately 1,600 feet of 10-foot-wide multiuse path and ADA ramps along South 5th Street, connecting four schools to residential areas. This project extends an existing safe route to school.

Firth $250,000
Title: Children Pedestrian Improvements
Description: This project will provide new curb, gutter, and sidewalk along Center Street from Main St. (ID-91) to the elementary school. Additional safety improvements include a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon signal on Main St.

Idaho Falls $240,000
Title: Iona Street, Riverside Drive and Bush Elementary Connections
Description: This project will provide new sidewalk along Iona Street and a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon for safe crossings at Riverside Drive (a busy street near an interchange). A second location includes sidewalk connections to Bush Elementary.

Marsing $35,326
Title: ID-55 Sidewalk Project
Description: This project will provide new sidewalk along ID-55, connecting the public library and downtown with the elementary, middle, and high schools.

Moscow $250,000
Title: Third Street Corridor Improvements
Description: This project will provide about 970 feet of new sidewalk along 3rd Street, connecting two elementary schools and the high school along a safe route to school. Additional safety improvements include adding center medians, curb extensions, vertical tube delineator (high-visibility markings), and school-zone lighting.

Shelley $135,000
Title: Locust and US-91 Improvements
Description: This project will install a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon at the intersection of ID-91 and Locust Street to provide a safe pedestrian crossing for students going to the school or library.

Teton $28,000
Title: Child Pedestrian Safety Project
Description: This project will install Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons at two intersections along ID-33 south of Teton Elementary to provide safe crossing for students going to and from school.

Idaho Transportation Board advances Northgate Interchange project

BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Board voted unanimously during their regular meeting Wednesday (Feb. 21) to provide additional funding to begin construction on the Northgate Interchange in east Idaho.

“This project is a great funding model for public/private partnerships moving forward. It serves as an example of what can be done when state, local and private stakeholders work together to leverage each other’s funds,” Board Chairman Jerry Whitehead said. “This project will reduce congestion, improve mobility and create greater opportunity for economic development in Bannock County.”

The interchange is being funded through a public/private partnership between ITD, the cities of Chubbuck and Pocatello, Bannock County, Bannock Transportation Planning Organization, the Pocatello Development Authority, and Millennial Development.

The board authorized ITD to enter into an agreement that funds an additional $4.6 million in construction costs, bringing the total cost of the interchange to $12.5 million. Funding was made available by delaying a locally sponsored project of $2.6 million and another $2 million ITD project in the area.

Once complete, the project will provide new connections on both sides of Interstate 15 for residents in Pocatello and Chubbuck. ITD will build the interchange. Local agencies and private developers will build several miles of connecting roads and acquire right-of-way. The total cost for the project is $31 million. ITD’s share is around $8 million.

“Even with these additional costs, if you look at the total project, including the new access roads and the interchange, the state is only paying a quarter on the dollar,” said Whitehead.

The interchange was originally estimated to cost $8.4 million dollars. After a value engineering study, the design was changed to meet anticipated traffic demands in the area. The new design includes longer ramps, a wider bridge deck, and traffic signals.

Work is expected to begin on the local roads this spring and on the interchange this summer.

ITD experiments with solar-powered pavement markings in Pocatello

The unusual amount of sunshine this winter has allowed the Idaho Transportation Department to experiment with a few alternatives to typical highway work. The most recent options are solar-powered pavement markings along short stretches of US-30/Garret Way in Pocatello, intended to increase the visibility of raised curb islands for drivers.

WATCH video

The first set of markers were installed along US-30 from Gould Street (milepost 335.4) to Pole Line Road (milepost 334.8) on Feb. 8. The next section to be outfitted with the special markers will be Pole Line to Cedar Street (milepost 334.3). ITD purchased 600 units and earmarked 100 for each of the six regional offices. The southeast Idaho office was the first to have them installed.

“This location was decided upon as a safety improvement due to lack of streetlights in this area and to help denote where there is curbing. The markers are lit and reflective, making them a good channelizing device in the dark,” ITD southeast Idaho Operations Manager Steve Gertonson explained. The markers store up solar energy during daylight hours, then use that to power LED lights in the markers at night.

ITD southeast Idaho Maintenance Foreman David Petersdorf said he’s already received numerous calls from the public saying they like the new markers.