Starting next week work will begin on three Interstate 90 bridges in the Silver Valley as crews work to carry out routine, preventative maintenance on the structures.
I-90 bridges west of Silverton over the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River
I-90 bridges at the Silverton Interchange
Wallace Viaduct
Through the work zones traffic will be reduced to a single lane of two-way traffic, and speed limits will be reduced to 55 miles per hour for safety. The Idaho Transportation Department will utilize crossovers constructed in previous years to shift traffic across the interstate allowing crews the space to work on these bridges.
This project will be carried out in two phases, the first addressing both sets of bridges near Silverton, and the second will focus on the viaduct in Wallace. Work on these projects is expected to be complete by late fall.
Information about intermittent ramp closures associated with the project will be posted locally, and in advance, on digital messaging signs along I-90. Up to date information will also be available to drivers through the Idaho 511 system.
Routine and preventative maintenance is essential to keeping roads safe, reliable, and cost-effective in the long run. Bridges are critical links in the transportation network, and like any structure, they experience wear and tear over time. By performing regular inspections, repairs, and upkeep now, the department can avoid more serious—and far more disruptive—problems down the road. These proactive measures help extend the lifespan of infrastructure, reduce the likelihood of emergency closures, and ultimately save taxpayer money.
This article will be updated when new information is available
4/7/2025
This information is from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management
Businesses Impacted by U.S. Highway 95 Closure may be Eligible for Assistance
Idaho Office of Emergency Management (IOEM) is gathering information from non-farm small businesses and non-profit organizations whose operations were disrupted by the March 16 closure of U.S. Highway 95 between Council and New Meadows due to a landslide. This information will help determine whether impacted entities may be eligible for disaster assistance through low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Heavy rainfall on March 16 triggered a landslide that caused several hundred feet of roadway shoulder to give way, forcing the highway’s closure. Since then, the Idaho Transportation Department has been working to safely restore access. The highway is expected to reopen in early May once repairs are completed. In the meantime, drivers are encouraged to use State Highway 55 as an alternate route.
IOEM is in close coordination with the SBA to evaluate the potential for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. If approved following a disaster declaration request by Governor Brad Little, the program would make low-interest loans available to qualifying small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private non-profit organizations. These loans are intended to help cover ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met due to the disruption caused by the closure.
To request the declaration, the State of Idaho will need five or more qualifying EIDL worksheets from small businesses impacted by the closure. Businesses that have experienced economic losses, whether actual or estimated due to the ongoing closure, are encouraged to submit a worksheet, even if they do not intend to apply for a loan. This information is critical to demonstrate the extent of the economic impact and determine eligibility for federal assistance.
The worksheet may be found on IOEM’s website at ioem.idaho.gov/SBA. Forms can be downloaded and sent by email to jdick@imd.idaho.gov, by fax to 208.422.3044, or mailed directly to:
ATTN: Jarod Dick
4040 Guard St., Bldg. 600
Boise, ID 83705
Please note the EIDL worksheet is not a loan application; it is intended for businesses to report losses so a declaration request may be considered.
Farms and ranches are not eligible for the SBA program.
3/28/2025
Critical repairs on US-95 to begin Monday – two shifts per day to accelerate work
Full closure on U.S. Highway 95 between Council and New Meadows will begin Monday. The contractor will be working two shifts per day to expedite the repairs and minimize the closure time.
The Idaho Transportation Department has carefully considered all potential detour options, including local roads, to minimize the impact on travelers. After exhaustive evaluation, it was determined that no local routes are capable of handling the heavy traffic diverted from US-95 due to early-season conditions and challenging terrain. To mitigate disruption, ITD recently cleared snow from the Weiser River Trail, which will serve as a bypass for local pedestrians and emergency responders. This trail provides a direct route around the closure. Designated parking on US-95 will be available on the north and south side of the landslide, ensuring residents and emergency personnel can continue to navigate the area safely. Additional details will be shared with businesses and local jurisdictions as we monitor trail demand.
Beginning Sunday evening at 8 p.m., US-95 will be fully closed to all vehicle traffic due to the oversized drill rig crane taking up both lanes. Crews will begin relocating fiber optic lines on Monday, followed by the start of excavation on Tuesday for the installation of a retaining wall. The excavation will involve removing 200 feet of pavement and digging to a depth of 10 feet across a 200-foot-long section of roadway. This work is scheduled to be complete by late April or early May.
ITD has modified commercial vehicle permits, allowing 53-foot single trailers to temporarily use State Highway 55 as a detour. This modification ensures that rural communities continue to receive deliveries of goods and services during the closure. ITD is coordinating all work on SH-55, which serves as the detour route for regional traffic. Maintenance projects that were slated to begin this spring will be postponed until US-95 is reopened.
Regular updates on the roadwork and closure will be available on 511.idaho.gov, through the 511 app, or by calling 511. ITD remains committed to restoring US-95 as quickly as possible while minimizing the impact on local communities and businesses.
3/26/2025
The weight limit for vehicles traveling near the slide area has been increased to 26,000 lbs., up from 10,000 lbs. This change will remain in effect until Sunday’s closure.
3/26/2025 Equipment to be mobilized to US-95 landslide, full closure set for Monday
Equipment is being mobilized to begin permanent repair work on the U.S. Highway 95 landslide located between Council and New Meadows at milepost 146.5, about ten miles north of Council. Workers have been on-site since the hillside gave way last Sunday due to steady rainfall.
A full closure of US-95 to all vehicle traffic will be implemented starting Sunday evening at 8 p.m. Until then, flaggers will direct local non-truck traffic through one narrow lane during daylight hours, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. After the closure on Sunday evening, the road will remain closed, as the contractor’s equipment will require both lanes for earthwork removal and wall installation.
On Monday, crews will begin excavation of a 200-foot-long, full-width section of the roadway, digging to a depth of 10 feet. Once excavation is complete, construction will begin immediately. The repair project will include a retaining wall, which will be anchored by steel piles driven into the stable rock layers of the slope. The highway is expected to reopen in early May once the work is completed.
There are no local detours that are passable this early in the season, and no local routes suitable for the impact of highway traffic. The Idaho Transportation Department has modified permitting for commercial vehicles to allow companies to safely operate on SH-55 to continue delivering goods to rural communities. This temporary exception allows 53-foot single trailers to use SH-55 as a detour for now.
ITD is working with emergency responders to ensure uninterrupted service for all areas. ITD is also working with local jurisdictions to identify potential alternatives for local workers to get past the US-95 closure.
For 24/7 updates on the status of the highway, visit 511.idaho.gov, download the 511 app or call 511 for updates on this closure.
3/21/2024
ITD modifies permitting for commercial vehicles on US-95 to ensure continued delivery of goods
In response to restrictions placed on U.S. Highway 95 between Council and New Meadows following a landslide on Sunday, the Idaho Transportation Department has modified permitting for commercial vehicles to allow companies to safely operate on State Highway 55 and continue delivering goods to rural communities.
The temporary exception allows 53-foot single trailers to use SH-55 as a detour for now. Given the narrow and winding conditions on SH-55, only certain combinations of trucks and trailers are typically allowed.
Drivers should expect more traffic on SH-55 with the current restrictions on US-95 and expect commercial vehicles to potentially slow down or stop near the Rainbow Bridge as they will be directed via signage to yield to oncoming traffic.
For 24/7 updates on the status of US-95 and SH-55 visit 511.idaho.gov, download the 511 app or call 511 for updates.
One lane temporarily open for local traffic only through US-95 slide near Council
One lane of U.S. Highway 95 is now temporarily open at the slide at milepost 146.5 north of Council. This lane will only be for local traffic and only open during daylight hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. until contractor equipment begins work next week.
The highway will fully close each night as crews will only visually monitor the route during daylight for slumps or cracks that could indicate another slide.
Commercial vehicles will not be allowed on the route to avoid the narrow road. Flaggers in New Meadows and Council will direct these vehicles to turn around. The Idaho Transportation Department is working on modifying the permitting process to allow for commercial vehicles to take State Highway 55 instead. Drivers should expect to see more trucks on SH-55 and practice patience.
The engineering team is reviewing data from foundation drilling yesterday and are expecting a design of a retaining wall by Tuesday that will be anchored by steel piles driven into the stable rock layers of the slope. This data will tell the team where and how deep to drive the steel piles, and land surveyor data collected the last few days will identify the full size of the slide for wall length and height design.
ITD has a prime contractor at the ready and will be working simultaneously with the design team to secure materials and any subcontractors prior to the repairs starting next week.
There are no local detours that are passable this early in the season and able to withstand the impact of highway traffic.
ITD will issue another update next week once the design for the repairs has been completed and future impacts to traffic are better known. Drivers may not be able to pass through the slide area once repairs are underway given the size of equipment that will be on site. The highway will likely be impacted through late April.
Workers have been on scene since the hillside gave way on Sunday following steady rainfall.
For 24/7 updates on the status of the highway, visit 511.idaho.gov, download the 511 app or call 511 for updates on this closure.
US-95 remains closed between Council and New Meadows
Guardrail hangs above a washed-out embankment
U.S. Highway 95 remains closed between Council and New Meadows due to a few hundred feet of downhill landslide of the roadway shoulder at milepost 146.5 along the Weiser River on Sunday afternoon following steady rainfall.
Engineering crews were on site this morning to assess the extent of the damage for repair decisions, and a drill crew will be on site tomorrow morning to investigate soil and slide information for a possible retaining wall.
“We aim to have one lane opened at some point this week, but just for cars,” District Engineer Jason Brinkman said. “We are concerned about allowing wider, heavier commercial vehicles on this narrow area until the repair work is complete.”
Regional traffic is encouraged to take State Highway 55 as no traffic is allowed through the landslide location. Only people who live between Council and Glendale south of the slide and between Pine Ridge and New Meadows north of the side will be allowed to access those areas. All other drivers are being turned around at the barricades in Council and New Meadows.
This particular area was already being monitored by the Idaho Transportation Department for storm damage concerns.
“These natural weather events are nearly impossible to predict,” Brinkman said. “Fortunately, given this season of storms, we are ready to respond and expedite this project.”
Getting the highway back open fully could take weeks. Motorists should visit 511.idaho.gov, download the 511 app or call 511 for updates on this closure.
The Idaho Transportation Department is hosting an online meeting starting today for State Highway 69 from Orchard Avenue in Kuna to Overland Road in Meridian. The community is invited to view the proposed vision of the corridor, as traffic is expected to increase by 55% over the next 25 years. Participants can provide input and learn about the next steps for the SH-69 project.
The proposed vision for SH-69 includes:
Widening SH-69 to seven lanes between Overland and Kuna roads.
Widening SH-69 to five lanes between Kuna Road and Orchard Avenue.
Installing a new continuous raised median with access allowed at mile and 1/2-mile intersections. All other access onto SH-69 will be right-in and right-out.
Adding a 10-foot multi-use pathway on each side.
“The proposed vision of the corridor will accommodate motorized and non-motorized users as growth along the corridor is projected to increase 55% over the next 25 years. We look forward to gathering input from the community, as their feedback is crucial to moving the study forward,” Project Manager Mark Wasdahl said.
Details for the online meeting are listed below:
Online meeting will run Monday, April 7 – Monday, April 21
Those who do not have the ability to engage online are encouraged to call (208) 377-9688, or email Amber@RBCI.net, and a member of the project team will provide other resources to participate.
Beginning Monday, the Idaho Transportation Department will build a traffic island on U.S. Highway 91 (Yellowstone Avenue) at Bullock Street in Chubbuck to reinforce existing restrictions that prohibit unsignalized left turns onto Bullock Street.
Yellow tubular markers will be removed and replaced with the concrete island over the next two weeks, depending on weather.
During construction, the southbound left turn lane from Yellowstone Avenue to Breneman Street and businesses like Walmart will be closed. The leftmost northbound lane on Yellowstone will also be closed to provide enough room for crews to work.
BOISE – On Tuesday, April 8, ITD will provide training and guidance to suppliers and those seeking to have their materials and products used in highway construction projects added to ITD’s Qualified Products List. The training will be done via a live video which will reside on ITD’s website for several weeks following the live session.
The QPL streamlines the process of testing, evaluating and approving products commonly used on highway construction projects. Rather than evaluating products to determine acceptance for each new project, products proven to meet our specifications are categorized and listed on the QPL.
Although the QPL hasn’t changed, the process of interfacing has been improved and streamlined, so the session on April 8 will demonstrate how it is to be used. The training/demonstration will be held from 11-noon Mountain Time. Project suppliers, distributors, and their agents can access the training through Microsoft Teams by various means listed bat the bottom of this page.
The session will be recorded. If you are unable to attend this demonstration, the recorded presentation can be found at the QPL webpage on our ITD website here:
RIGBY— With the onset of spring, over the next several months the Idaho Transportation Department and contractor partners are crack sealing, repairing potholes, removing hazardous trees and conducting more substantial improvements to ruts and bumps in the roads from Salmon to Driggs and the Montana state lines to Idaho Falls.
Crack sealing is underway on Interstate 15 from Idaho Falls to Dubois, as well as State Highways 33 and 47. This work involves a mobile one-lane restriction that follows workers’ progress. ITD crews fill minor cracks in the roadway with a strong, sticky tar that serves to keep water from getting under the surface and making the damage worse. This must be done in spring during cooler temperatures and dry conditions, and then the repair effectively expands through warmer months.
Flagging operations will be in place temporarily on state highways across east Idaho as ITD performs mastic pothole repair. Expect flagging delays to be less than 15 minutes where this work is occurring. Mastic work uses a hot-applied rubber and asphalt combination that is highly effective at sealing up more substantial damages in the road. These fixes must also be done in dry conditions and specific temperatures seen during the spring. Crews time work before or after peak travel times, even at night as needed.
On U.S. Highway 20 between Rexburg and St. Anthony, crews will be working to mill off the surface of the road in 1,500-foot stretches or less and then overlay new pavement. Expect to see one lane closures and speed reductions where this is occurring.
Hazardous tree removal will also begin this spring on U.S. Highway 93 between Challis and Salmon. ITD crews can sometimes work off the roadway, though flaggers will be in place as needed, with one lane restricted in 15-minute increments. The removal of dying and diseased trees will improve errant driver safety recovery zones, wildlife visibility and fire protection widths. This effort will continue through the spring and into the summer months.
Other routine spring maintenance work like shoulder repairs and delineation enhancements are also ongoing. Drivers should be aware of these smaller work zones, slow down and move over to help everyone stay safe. Download the Idaho 511 app or visit tps://511.idaho.gov/ to stay up to date on where road work is occurring across Idaho.
Next week, as part of the Interstate 90 and State Highway 41 Interchange project, the access point for the westbound I-90 on-ramp is being shifted to the north near Central Avenue. Shifting the on- and off-ramps will provide space for crews to continue working on the new center of the future interchange.
This shift will allow southbound traffic from SH-41 to merge seamlessly onto the on-ramp, rather than requiring drivers to make a dedicated right turn.
Because of this change, starting next week northbound drivers on SH-41 will no longer be able to turn left onto the westbound on-ramp.
Northbound drivers on SH-41 wishing to access westbound I-90 will be detoured north to 16th Avenue where they will make a U-turn and then return south along the highway until they merge onto the new westbound temporary on-ramp.
As a reminder, there are several ongoing closures related to the I-90/SH-41 Interchange project that were shared with the community in early March:
The westbound off-ramp remains closed through fall 2025 while crews construct a new straight off-ramp and the single-point urban interchange. Traffic is detoured to the Seltice Way Interchange at Exit 6. Click here for detour map.
Central Avenue will remain closed through late fall while crews continue to widen SH-41. Business access has changed (view map).
This project also includes improvements to SH-41 and surrounding local roads. Construction for this project is expected to be complete in 2026.
City of Post Falls Spokane Street Pavement Rehabilitation Project
As part of ITD’s ongoing efforts to keep the public informed about construction activities and travel impacts, we would also like to share information regarding an upcoming pavement rehabilitation project on Spokane Street that is set to begin on April 7.
This work will reduce traffic to one lane in each direction and will occur in several phases. During some of these phases, there will be intermittent closures of the I-90 on- and off-ramps at Spokane Street.
Full details about the City of Post Falls project are available on the city’s website or by contacting the City of Post Falls Projects Division.
While the ITD and City of Post Falls projects are independent of one another, both agencies are committed to working together to share information with the public. Information about the city’s project and its potential impact on travel routes within the I-90/SH-41 project area will be communicated through email updates, the Idaho 511 system, and ITD’s social media channels as part of our ongoing I-90, SH-41 outreach.
Anyone interested in staying informed is encouraged to register for email updates, utilize the free Idaho 511 system, of follow ITD’s social media channels @idahoitd.
BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is warning Idahoans about a phishing scam involving fraudulent text messages that claim recipients owe toll fines. These messages are not legitimate and should be ignored.
Idaho does not have toll roads, and ITD does not issue toll fines. If you receive a text message demanding payment for an alleged toll violation, do not click any links or provide personal information. If possible, report the message to your mobile carrier. You can also report scams and suspicious communications to the Federal Trade Commission.
Scammers often use official-sounding language and urgent threats to trick people into clicking on malicious links. ITD urges everyone to stay vigilant and remember:
Idaho has no toll roads.
ITD will never text you demanding payment.
ITD will only text you if you have opted into e-notifications.
For official transportation-related updates and services, always visit itd.idaho.gov.
