Rexburg Diverging Diamond Interchanges win International Communitas Award

Aerial view of US-20 Exit 332 into Rexburg showing completed Diverging Diamond Interchange configuration.

The large-scale 2024 project to build two Diverging Diamond Interchanges off US-20 in Rexburg was recently awarded the International Communitas Award. This award is an effort to recognize exceptional businesses, organizations, and individuals who are unselfishly giving of themselves and their resources, and those who are changing how they do business to benefit their communities. Communitas is a term describing the intense sense of community that emerges among people sharing a collective experience, particularly during times of transition.

The Rexburg DDIs were originally intended to be built separately over two construction seasons. Input from the community and area municipalities asked if ITD could possibly do it in just one year by fully closing the exits one at a time. That suggestion led to a unique, aggressive construction schedule being developed.

Though the significant work-zone impacts could have caused substantial community uproar and damage to ITD’s reputation, the opposite proved true thanks to diligent and constant effort on the part of the project team. Throughout construction, the Rexburg community and eastern Idaho in general was massively positive and supportive.

“It’s nice to see this project recognized on such a large scale. It was unique in its design and construction and skillfully targeted the specific needs of the community,” Engineering Manager Conner Huffaker said. “Despite the challenges encountered, the project has changed the face of the community for good and received remarkably positive public support. The end result is something all those who helped bring it to reality and the community who use it every day can be truly proud of.”

ITD website will have a new look starting January 12, 2026

The Idaho Transportation Department plans to launch a redesigned website to the public on Monday, January 12, 2026. The site is a modern, accessible, and mobile friendly evolution for ITD. Some of the new features include integrated construction project pages, a calendar, and advanced site search.

The website URL will remain the same, itd.idaho.gov. Although the site will have a new look, websites with the .gov ending are official government sources, ensuring accurate, reliable, and secure information for the public.

Potentially life-saving preventive measures: ITD tests new snowplow lighting

ITD snowplow inside shop building with orange and green lights flashing.

In a continual effort to minimize snowplow strikes and increase safety, the Idaho Transportation Department is installing and testing upgraded lighting packages this winter.

When encountering ITD snowplows on the road, drivers through eastern Idaho may see

Two higher-mounted over-cab strobe lights
Four larger, sturdier wing lights mounted atop and at the side of the wing blade itself
Six total lights at the back of the truck, both strobing and alternating
New reflective orange and yellow checkerboard striping at the back of the plow truck
A whip-style, green rod light that extends six inches high at the edge of the wing plow

The green whip light has been met with success in other states around the country and is a significant change for Idaho.

“Yes, green means go but it also gets your attention,” ITD Operations Manager Ty Winther said. “And ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to do, what it’s all about- grabbing people’s attention.”

All trial lighting was chosen and installed by ITD plow operators, mechanics and welders. These changes will be placed on newer plow trucks as a standard across Idaho if they are found to be more effective at preventing snowplow strikes and increasing visibility for road workers year-round.

In 2023-24, ITD tracked 17 strike occurrences, and 11 during 2024-25. Many of these crashes involve vehicles hitting the wing plow that helps clear both the road lane and shoulder at the same time.

“When any strike happens, we’re asking ourselves what we could have done to prevent it” Winther said. “We can’t track the lives we save but we still look at it like that- how many crashes were prevented because of these ideas?”

While improved lighting is a helpful preventive measure, ITD reminds drivers to use common cautionary practices on winter roads. Slow way down, give extra space to other drivers and surroundings, brake carefully and slowly, drive with your lights on at all times, and put down or turn off any distractions.

Helpful winter road condition and driving reports can always be found on the Idaho 511 app and at http://511.idaho.gov .

Border Ops: ITD hosts Montana DOT for winter operations preview

A large group of Operations employees from ITD and MDT between vehicle with both state logos on them.

ITD, MDT, DOT, ISP- there were a lot of letters, different job titles and laughter floating around the Island Park shed recently, as the Idaho Transportation Department hosted the Montana Department of Transportation for a partnership lunch.

The Ellis and West Yellowstone maintenance sheds, and others from Montana Butte District 2, joined ITD Ashton/Island Park foreman Ryan Wright and his crews on Wednesday, November 5. Many ITD leadership, including District Engineer Jason Minzghor, Engineering Manager Karen Hiatt, Engineering Manager Bryan Young, and Operations Engineer Jeremie Pettingill, participated as well. Island Park-stationed Idaho State Police trooper Braiden Hill also joined the group.

The get-together served to allow Operations divisions to meet face to face and discuss ways both states can continue to help each other plow snow, respond to wildfire closures, and much more at the border of the two states. The lunch marked the first time that many of those in attendance had met in person before.

This past summer, many of them spoke often as State Highway 87 was closed for response to the Horn Fire that burned nearly 3,000 acres.

Through laughter and casual conversation over good food, along with professional exchanges and discussion, MDT and ITD folks left better prepared for the winter and year ahead.

The Island Park area and corridor of US-20 to West Yellowstone receives one of the greatest and longest lasting amounts of snow in Idaho. The routes attract a huge influx of year-round recreationists and are lifelines to communities in both states.

This partnership lunch will continue to be held annually, with ITD intending to travel to Montana’s turf next year.

Chief Deputy/COO Dan McElhinney leaves ITD

With more than three decades of public service, Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Chief Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer Dan McElhinney has announced he is leaving state service.

McElhinney focused on relationships and working with local leaders and community members to improve safety on Idaho’s transportation system. A significant advocate for stakeholder partnerships, he established the work zone safety task force and strengthened the Construction Partnering program with the Idaho Associated General Contractors.

“I am so grateful for Dan’s dedication and emphasis on connecting with communities and overseeing the historic investments in construction focused on safety and mobility, which have enhanced quality of life for Idahoans,” said ITD Director Scott Stokes.

ITD Chief Engineer Dave Kuisti has been named acting Chief Operations Officer until permanent leadership position changes are determined.

Targeting Hotshots from Boston to Seattle

From October 20-24, a group of POE inspectors from District 1’s Huetter Port of Entry collaborated on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s nationwide Interstate 90 Corridor Hotshot effort. A hotshot refers to a specific vehicle towing configuration. The purpose was threefold — to ensure safety of the driving public, educate drivers in the proper way to configure and secure hotshot loads, and enforce proper documentation of registrations and permits.

An improperly configured hotshot load can create rollovers, jackknifing, and loss of control due to shifting weight and uneven distribution. Other risks include brake failure and longer stopping distances from overloading, and cargo coming loose to create a hazard for other drivers. If the load isn’t secured or configured properly, it also could cause trailer sway.

FMCSA coordinated with multiple state Commercial Vehicle Safety teams and Port of Entry agencies to concentrate a week’s worth of inspections on hotshot-configured loads. Specifically, the training focused on the 3,100-mile stretch of highway from Boston to Seattle, which passes through 13 states.

Pictured at right: As day broke on the morning of the October 24, District 1 POE personnel were hard at work inspecting vehicles, educating drivers, and ensuring loads were properly configured and legal.

The large two-tiered auto transporters you typically see on the road are designed specifically for hauling many vehicles at one time. Many smaller independent and commercial carriers use a “hotshot” to haul their cargo to their destination if they don’t have access to an auto transporter.

Hotshots are governed by trailer length only and not their overall length like auto transporters. If the vehicle configuration is not legal, like a trailer exceeding 53 feet on the national highway network, then an extra length permit is required to operate. That’s where our POE inspectors come into the picture.

Phillip Youngman’s team of skilled inspectors supported the event using the Huetter POE as their base of operations. Partnering with the Idaho State Police (ISP) and its specialized Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance officers, Phil and his team focused their attention on hotshot configured vehicles weighing between 10,000 – 26,000 lbs. Typically, these loads are smaller than those required to enter our ports.

This was the second Hotshot-focused operation with ISP this year. The previous interagency collaboration was held June 10-11. Between ITD and ISP, over 100 hotshot configured loads were inspected and all deficiencies corrected on site.

“The partnership and cooperation benefits us all, and the work accomplished aligns precisely with ITD’s mission of promoting safety, mobility, and economic opportunity,” said Port of Entry Program Manager Frank DeCarvalho. “It was a job well done!”

Idaho state agencies collaborate to save time and money, accomplish missions

Workers from ITD and IDOC doing hazardous tree removal on SH-31, showing a loader hauling large logs and people on the ground on the roadway around the equipment.

State agencies in Idaho each handle their own areas of expertise, but not necessarily alone. It’s well known that Idaho State Police and Idaho Fish and Game work particularly close with the Idaho Transportation Department. Another partner you might not have realized is the Idaho Department of Correction.

Each summer ITD becomes one of the job alternatives for non-violent inmates in certain minimum-security facilities. In east Idaho, individuals at the St. Anthony Work Camp join ITD crews to accomplish tasks that are better completed with more hands to help. ITD then becomes their mentor for learning skills they’ll use forever.

“The whole idea behind the work camp is to give them skills that they can use to help them become effective pillars of society,” ITD Facilities Manager Korby Hansen said.

Inmates at St. Anthony Work Camp have various options of places they can work while at the facility. In east Idaho, ITD pays $50,000 to IDOC for two months of work from a ten-man crew and guard.

This summer, work camp crews, or “Red Shirts” as they’re often called, have assisted with bridge repairs in Ashton, hazardous tree removal on State Highway 31, fencing in Dubois, geological drilling efforts district wide, utility and landscaping improvements in Rigby and more.

“For just the hazardous tree work alone, if we were to hire privately, it would easily cost the district $250-300,000,” ITD Business Manager Jesse Olivas noted.

ITD submits the needs they have in eastern Idaho for the year to IDOC in advance of the working season. Those overseeing the program, like Olivas and Hansen, also attend a spring training where IDOC states the expectations for working with inmates.

From that point on, we schedule what gets done when and where over the course of the two months that the Red Shirts are committed. This allows all eight east Idaho foremen and others to utilize the extra hands efficiently.

“It would take just our crew months or years to get done what they helped us do in just a few weeks,” ITD Driggs area Operations Technician Ray McMinn said.

He and fellow crew member Kyler Fullmer worked together to advance the inmates’ sawyer certifications while working on SH-31 this summer. A flagger class was also offered for them to serve in that role while on ITD projects, as well as at jobs throughout the future after their sentence has been served.

“ITD gives them some real skills they can use when they return to the community,” this year’s IDOC Correctional Officer, who goes with and watches the inmates on all jobs, stated.

This dynamic partnership between IDOC and ITD is a great example of Idaho’s state agencies working together to substantially save money and accomplish their missions in the process.

ITD’s top innovations focus on public service, worker safety

Service and safety were on center stage Wednesday (Oct. 1) during ITD’s annual Best of the Best innovation awards. FY25’s total included $5M in savings and efficiencies, allowing those savings to be re-routed to critical improvements to roads and bridges throughout the state. (ITD Director Scott Stokes kicks off the ceremony in picture above).

Emcee Justin Wuest (pictured at right) from District 1 in Coeur d’Alene and Innovation Stewards from each district statewide discussed this year’s winners and the program overall, which has saved $68M and almost 1M hours since its inception in 2014.

Best of the Best Coordinator Laura Meyer (pictured at left, below) added transitions as the program moved from one category to the next. Winners were selected in five cornerstone categories: Safety, Mobility/Economic Opportunity, Resource Stewardship, Ideal Workplace and Customer Service.

“A huge thank you goes to the ITD Executives, the Innovative Business Practices Team and the Continuous Improvement Team for their support and encouragement, and the promotion of innovation at ITD. None of this would’ve been possible without them!”

“I also want to thank Justin and the Stewards; Drake Tino, Sonna Lynn Fernandez and Roni Pratt; and Jared Tuttle & Axel Quartarone for all of their help to get this across the Finish Line.”

Innovation is transforming the way ITD works—making our jobs safer, streamlining processes, and saving customers (Gem State motorists) both time and money. These categories represent the core pillars of our innovation strategy and align with key departmental priorities.

Mobility/Economic Opportunity: Nordik Move Plow Blades adapt to road surfaces for better snow removal. The blades have proven longer-lasting, quieter, and more cost-effective—earning strong support from operators and improving winter operations.

Resource Stewardship: Idaho’s first RAP sealcoat reuses recycled plantmix, saving costs and resources. Their success earned the project a spot in the national PG3 study to support broader implementation.

Safety: An old wing plow camera was re-purposed to monitor salt levels from inside the cab, improving safety and efficiency. The “Salt Seeing Eye” reduces the need for manual checks and risky climbs onto equipment.

Ideal Workplace: A new ESRI map layer gives ITD crews easy access to property, right of way, and parcel data. Replacing OnX and Mile1, the tool saves $60,000 annually and improves efficiency through iPlan and the ITD Parcel and Milepost Map.

Customer Service: Usingg a host of volunteers, the DMV’s Star Card Pop-up at the Chinden Campus issued over 400 cards in a week, expanding from campus employees to all Idaho residents. With walk-in service and no appointments, it offered a fast, convenient way to get a REAL ID before the May 7, 2025 deadline.

Name a Snowplow

Two ITD snowplows. One has been digitally altered to say "Winning Name Here" on the front of the plow.

After a successful pilot last year, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is naming more snowplows this winter season! Name A Snowplow is a fun way to spread awareness about snowplow safety, foster a sense of ownership among the community, and teach future drivers how to be safe when driving near snowplows. This year we are expanding the eligible grade ranges to all 6th through 12th grade classrooms.

We are asking Idaho students and their teachers to come up with names as a class and submit them by October 31, 2025. Instructions and the form to submit names are below.

Contest Rules:

Eligibility

Open to 6th through 12th grade classrooms.
Classrooms must be located in Idaho.
Teachers can download a presentation about snowplow safety to share with their classrooms.
- PowerPoint Presentation (PPT)
- Presentation speaker notes (PDF)

Submission Guidelines

One name per classroom.
Names must be appropriate | MAX 15 characters (including spaces).
Submit name via Microsoft Form (Please only submit if you are a teacher or homeschool parent).

*If the same name is submitted by multiple classrooms, only the first entry received will be considered.

Selection Process

Names must be submitted by October 31.
ITD employees will vote on submissions in November.
12 winning names will be selected—two from each of ITD’s six districts. Winners will be announced before the end of the year.
Winning classrooms will receive recognition and a special visit from the snowplow bearing its chosen name. Media will be invited to cover the event.

Additional Information

Classrooms are free to conduct their own internal voting to select their submission.
Submissions that do not meet the criteria will be disqualified.
By submitting a snowplow name, you grant ITD all rights to use, display and publish the name for promotional purposes.

Timeline

Classrooms submit names October 1 to 31, 2025.
ITD Employees vote on names in November 2025.
Winners announced December 2025.
Plow visits with winning classrooms December 2025 through February 2026.

Interested in participating?

If you have a child in middle or high school, ask if his or her classroom is submitting a name and share this page with the teacher.
Help spread the word on social media.
Talk to your kids, friends, or family about snowplow safety. Visit the Idaho Ready page for winter safety information.

Last year’s names:

The Berminator
Big Snowplowski
Alpha Storm One
Plowabunga!
Clearapathra
NoMoreMr.IceGuy
Plowasaurus Rex
Darth Blader
Snow Daddy
Snow Ranger
Antisnowcial
POW POW KA PLOW

New tool helps drive truck-parking solutions

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s Carbon-Reduction Program encourages state DOTs to pursue projects and strategies that lower transportation-related emissions. With a significant shortage of safe and reliable truck parking statewide, ITD decided to use the funding to address this need.

Collaboration by ITD’s Planning team, GIS team and the Federal Highway Administration developed a tool to bring together data, maps, and analysis to help the department evaluate potential truck-parking projects across the state highway system.

“The Truck Parking Demand Tool provides information for stakeholders and ITD staff to evaluate existing and propose new projects to expand our truck-parking network,” explained Abby Peterson, ITD Senior Planner.

The tool helps staff and partners:

Identify areas of demand.
Look at options for adding spaces.
Show the economic and environmental benefits of potential projects.

The tool also provides an easy-to-use, data-driven resource to identify truck-parking needs, analyze options, and make informed decisions.

It was most recently used to identify needs and fund improvements at the Bliss Rest Area in southern Idaho, shown at left.

“For communities, more available parking cuts down on unnecessary idling and emissions from trucks circling in search of spaces, directly supporting cleaner air and healthier environments,” Peterson said. “For the freight industry, efficient access to safe parking reduces delays, keeps goods moving, and strengthens supply chain reliability.”

Key ITD personnel involved in the development of the tool include Abby Peterson (Planning), Will Thoman (GIS), Freight Manager Caleb Forrey, ITD’s Planning and GIS teams, and FHWA Division staff. Pictured at right are Forrey, Peterson and Thoman.

The issue of truck parking has been in the news several times recently:

Inside America’s $100 Billion Truck Parking Crisis

New FHWA Chief Under Pressure to Fix Truck Parking