Starting in late May the Idaho Transportation Department will widen State Highway 33 near Victor to include a passing lane, center turn lane, and right turn lanes. Construction is anticipated to start on May 20.
Motorists can plan on one lane remaining open throughout construction, which is expected to last until early to mid-September. Fifteen-minute wait times between milepost 151 and 153 may occur as flaggers direct traffic. Cones will be moved out of the way of traffic each night, and all lanes will be open.
A new passing lane for eastbound traffic between milepost 151 and 152 will improve the flow of traffic on SH-33 before motorists begin to traverse Teton Pass. A center turn lane will continue after the passing lane to make it easier for drivers to access area subdivisions and Trail Creek Community Pond. Baseline Road will also be realigned to improve visibility at the intersection of SH-33.
Old cattle underpasses that are no longer used exist in three different areas along SH-33 where this work will be done. This means crews need to remove old cement structures, excavate the ground down eight feet and then rebuild one foot at a time to ensure road integrity. Motorists will note additional time spent on those sections of work, with crews present in those areas for longer and flaggers remaining overnight.
This project is made possible through a grant obtained by Teton County of Wyoming in partnership with ITD, Teton County of Idaho, the town of Jackson, the city of Driggs and others. Information about additional planned improvements through the grant can be found at tetonbuildgrant.com.
Stay up to date on the status of this project and others by visiting 511.idaho.gov, calling 5-1-1 or downloading the app.
The Idaho Transportation Department is conducting exploratory drilling on State Highway 33 near the Wyoming state line Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1. This section of the road is beginning to slide and the guardrail tip to the side. Geologists and materials crews are taking samples to get information on the cause and to install instrumentation for slide monitoring. No lane closures are in effect as a result of the drilling operation.
The samples collected from drilling will help ITD specialists know what is causing the road to slide, how far down it goes, and how fast it’s occurring. There are natural springs in this vicinity and around SH-33.
Instruments will also be placed in the ground to remain there so ITD can monitor movement. With data collected from drilling, work to ensure the needs of this section of road will be planned and executed in coming months.
Motorists are cautioned to be particularly aware of working crews, slow down, and move over when passing equipment.
Drivers on U.S. Highway 93 north of Salmon should plan for 20-minute delays in April as crews scale rocky slopes above the highway. Professional scalers will clear loose rock to reduce the risk of debris falling to the road during spring freeze-thaw cycles, animal migration and rain events, which can occur year round.
Work will begin Tuesday between Fourth of July Creek and Wagon Hammer Springs. Over the next two weeks crews are expected on site each weekday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. They will close the highway for 20 minutes at a time to knock down rocks, pause work and clear the road and then reopen to allow waiting vehicles to pass through.
There will be no delays outside of working hours unless a safety concern is encountered that needs immediate attention.
As part of this project, crews will also repair rock netting already in place and install more of it to cover a greater area. Crews will return in the fall to complete installing new rockfall mesh at this site.
Travelers are reminded to check 511.idaho.gov to be aware of impacts from work zones like this one.
The Idaho Transportation Department is holding an open house on Tuesday, April 2 to share construction plans and closures at two interchanges on US -20 in Rexburg. This summer, the interchanges at University Boulevard (Exit 332) and State Highway 33 (Exit 333) will be rebuilt to be safer and more efficient.
The open house will be held at Madison High School from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Information will also be available online from April 2-9 at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.
“Our goal is to complete this project as quickly as possible for the Rexburg community,” Project Manager Conner Huffaker said. “We encourage community members to learn about major tra?c impacts so they can plan ahead for a successful summer.”
Early work on the interchanges began this month. Major impacts will include fully closing each interchange, one at a time, during construction. A full closure of Exit 332 is anticipated for the month of June. A full closure of Exit 333 is anticipated for the month of August. One interchange will remain open as a detour route while the other is closed for construction.
The full closure schedule will allow crews to work faster and complete both interchanges in one construction season. US-20 will remain open to through tra?c during construction. ITD anticipates all work will be complete by late October.
When complete, both interchanges will be diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs). The DDI design was chosen after many years of analyzing technical data and working with the local community. Watch this video to learn how to drive through the new interchanges.
To sign up for email updates, visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.
UPDATE: Due to weather, the start date for this project has been shifted to later this month. Pay attention to signage near the work zone for the start of traffic impacts and visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg to sign up for email updates.
The Idaho Transportation Department will begin early construction activities to replace two interchanges on U.S. Highway 20 in Rexburg. This summer the interchanges at University Boulevard (Exit 332) and State Highway 33 (Exit 333) will be rebuilt to be safer and more efficient.
Work this spring will include utility work and installing temporary traffic signals at Exit 333 to help with traffic flow during construction. Crews will also install permanent signals further north at the ramps for Salem Highway (Exit 337). Lane closures during these early activities will occur outside of peak traffic times as much as possible.
“Between March and June, we anticipate maintaining at least one lane of traffic in each direction on University Boulevard and SH-33,” Project Manager Conner Huffaker said.
Construction this summer will require each interchange to be fully closed, one at a time. Full closure of the interchange at University Boulevard is anticipated for the month of June. Full closure of the interchange at SH-33 is anticipated for the month of August. As one interchange is closed for construction, the other will remain open as a detour route. US-20 will remain open to through traffic throughout construction.
Crews anticipate that all work will be complete by late October.
When complete, both interchanges will be diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs). The DDI design was chosen after many years of analyzing technical data and working with the local community. Watch this video to learn how to drive through the new interchanges.
To sign up for construction updates, visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.
ITD will host an open house on April 2 at Madison High School from 4 to 6 p.m. to share construction plans and impacts with the community. More information will also be made available online at that time.
HK Contractors is the contractor for this $22 million project.
Winter weather has brought snowy driving conditions to much of Idaho. Unfortunately, the rise in snowy road conditions has also led to a sharp rise in snowplow strikes. Nine Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) plows have been hit so far this winter season. Five strikes happened over the last seven days.
Two of the most recent strikes happened this Wednesday in the Magic Valley, one on I-84 north of Twin Falls, and one on I-84 west of Wendell. Both involved a semi truck rear-ending a plow. The vehicles will be out of service for up to two weeks while they undergo repairs.
“It’s a major impact on maintenance sheds when equipment is taken out of service. We are limited on snowplows,” Jerome Foreman Brian Davidson said. “It makes it more difficult to keep roads clear.”
Another recent strike happened on Tuesday in Nampa. The plow was heading eastbound on I-84 near Karcher Road. A pickup pulling a trailer merged onto the interstate and lost control. The trailer swung out and hit the ITD vehicle’s wing plow. There was no lasting damage to the snowplow.
ITD wants to remind drivers how to be safe around snowplows.
- Do not pass a plow on the right. Plows have a 10-foot extendable wing plow on the right side that may be difficult to see in snowy conditions.
- Provide ample space for plows to work and steer clear of their blind spots. This also means increasing your following distance behind the plow.
- Practice patience and stay behind the plow for the safest road conditions.
- Plows often operate in pairs to clear multiple lanes; never position yourself between tandem plows.
- In case of a crash or if you need to stop on the side of the road, stay inside your vehicle for both your safety and that of our plow operators.
Last winter, there were 17 plow strikes, a number ITD does not want to repeat. Please be careful driving and mindful of our plows. Check 511.idaho.gov or the Idaho 511 App for road conditions before traveling. For more winter driving tips, visit itd.idaho.gov/travel.
*For real-time updates and photos of plow strikes, visit ITD’s Facebook or X pages.
Blizzard conditions across much of the state has caused the Idaho Transportation Department to close several routes.
Current closures include:
Southwest Idaho:
- State Highway 21 from Grandjean Junction to Banner Summit
- State Highway 21 from Idaho City to Lowman
South-Central Idaho:
- U.S. Highway 93 from Jerome to Shoshone
- U.S. Highway 20 from Fairfield to Mountain Home
- U.S. Highway 30 from Hansen to Murtaugh
- State Highway 75 from Shoshone to Timmerman
- State Highway 46 from Gooding to Fairfield
Southeast Idaho:
- State Highway 34 from Conda to Wyoming
- State Highway 36 from SH-34 to Ovid
East Idaho:
- State Highway 47 from Ashton to Bear Gulch
- State Highway 32 from Tetonia to Ashton
- State Highway 33 from Newdale to Tetonia. Note that Teton Pass in Wyoming is also closed.
- U.S. Highway 26 from Ririe to Swan Valley
- State Highway 31 from Swan Valley to Victor
Plows will be out in full force today and until the winter weather subsides. The department asks that those who do not need to travel stay home or time their trips around weather conditions.
To share the road safely with plows, travelers are reminded to:
- Never pass a plow on the right.
- Give plows room to work by maintaining at least a three-second following distance.
- If multiple plows are working in tandem, do not attempt to move between them.
- Stay out of the blind spots.
- Drive for conditions.
- Allow extra time to travel.
More closures could be possible as the system moves through the state. Road conditions are updated 24/7 at 511.idaho.gov. Drivers are reminded to know before they go and visit the website or check the 511 app before traveling.
The Idaho Transportation Department is hosting a public meeting on Thursday, Nov. 16, for the community to learn more, ask questions and provide input about two upcoming intersection improvement projects.
The public meeting will share preliminary design plans for the intersections at US-26/ 45th & 55th. The meeting will be open-house format for the community to drop in between 5 and 7 p.m. at Thunder Ridge High School in the Lecture Hall at 4941 1st Street in Idaho Falls. Information about the process, goals, benefits, and timelines for the improvements will be provided. No formal presentation will be given; however, the project team will be available to answer questions.
A self-guided virtual meeting, with the same information as the in-person experience, will also be available at the project website starting Nov. 16. The feedback survey to provide formal comment during this time is also available on the project website. It will be open through Nov. 30.
“Due to traffic increase and a rise in severe accidents, this area needs to be addressed. It is a main artery route for commuters from the east side of the state to the Idaho Falls center and access to I-15,” Project Manager Rachel Telford said. “We want this public meeting to be an opportunity for the community to be a part of helping us create safe solutions for the future.”
Join the project team at the public meeting or visit the website at https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/intersection-improvments-45th-and-55th to view the virtual meeting, complete the survey online, and sign up for updates.
Mill and Inlay project west of Idaho Falls
Road construction will commence on US-20 for approximately 13 miles from milepost 301 to milepost 288 .
Work will encompass repairing the right wheel path with a cold mill and inlay process. This project is to make repairs to the existing roadway and extend the lifespan of the highway.
Road work will take place between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. The project is expected to last approximately 2 weeks.
Motorists should anticipate reduced speeds and traffic control with a pilot car to guide traffic through the work zone. Drivers are encouraged to watch for flaggers in the work zone. As construction continues, drivers should plan their commute accordingly.
Please check 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app for the most recent information on road work.
The East 1500 North Bridge over Interstate 15 near Shelley will be closed until further notice. A vehicle travelling northbound on I-15 today struck the bridge causing significant damage to a girder. Traffic is currently detoured via South 45th West.
“We’ll have to keep the bridge closed until we can fully inspect the damage,” Operations Engineer Greydon Wright said. “Our bridge crew will come in to do the inspection and decide what work will need to be done to repair it.”
The incident also necessitated the closure of the right lane of northbound I-15 to allow crews to clean debris from the road and ensure the safety of the travelling public.
Travelers are reminded to know before they go and check 511.idaho.gov for traffic impacts.
