Sections of State Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 12 remain closed as part of the ongoing emergency response as several wildfires sparked by Wednesday’s lightning storm continue to burn across North Central Idaho. All lanes on SH-3 are closed from Julietta to Arrow. US 12 remains closed from Spalding to Peck at the time of this release.
For current information, please continue to reference the following sources below:
Status of the fires:
Local sheriffs are responsible for ordering evacuations:
ITD resources and personnel have been mobilized from Coeur d’Alene to Lewiston to assist with the fires. Coordination with county and state law enforcement partners continues as well.
The safety of the public is a priority so please avoid the area. Therefore, only essential travel at this time is encouraged. The department and first responders appreciate your cooperation during this dynamic and evolving situation.
Several sections of State Highway 21, State Highway 75, State Highway 24, State Highway 81, and State Highway 77 will begin receiving surface treatment as early as Monday. Seal coating will begin in Stanley and move through the Wood River Valley for about a month. The sections listed below are in the order that work will be performed:
- Stanley SH 21 for .41 miles
- Galena SH 75 for 11.56 miles
- Ohio Gulch SH 75 2.82 miles
- SH 24
- SH 81
- SH 77
Lane closures will be in effect while crews work on each section. A pilot car will be in place to guide traffic. Drivers should expect delays and consider alternate routes when available.
Seal coating helps extend the life of pavement, reduce the amount of damage done by weather and give a water-resistant surface.
Work should be completed by the beginning of September. For live traffic updates go to Idaho 511
As preliminary work continues for the Interstate 90 bridges near Cataldo, crews are installing a temporary work bridge across the Coeur d’Alene River. The bridge will allow personnel and equipment access to the interstate bridges during demolition and construction.
The project is scheduled to extend from 2024 to 2026. For safety, during this time recreational access and use of the river near the construction zone will be restricted for 500 feet on both sides of the bridges.
Starting as early as next week, all marine traffic will be directed to the east side of the river until safe passage beneath the temporary bridge is established. At that time access will be restricted and through-passage on the river will be closed weekly Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the 2024 construction season while crews work above the river. Examples of activities that will be restricted within the work zone include, but are not limited to, boating, kayaking, swimming, tubing, and fishing.
In late fall these restrictions will be lifted and the river will be accessible over winter months.
For both the 2025 and 2026 construction seasons, restrictions will once again be in effect from April through November inhibiting access, use and passage Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Construction will take scheduled breaks during the major summer holidays each season and access to the river will be available for recreation.
Signs will be posted locally at boat launches and access points that will update users of restrictions or changes throughout the construction process.
Ongoing updates for I-90 traffic impacts for this project, and projects all across the state, are available on Idaho 511 by phone, online, or on the app.
Several sections of U.S. Highway 95, U.S. Highway 12 and State Highway 11 will begin receiving surface treatments as early as Monday. Motorists can expect work zones with flaggers and one lane of alternating traffic. The sections listed below are in the order that work will be performed:
- US-12 from 9-Mile River access (just east of Wilderness Gateway Campground) to the Montana state line.
- SH-11 from Grangemont Road to Headquarters.
- US-95 from White Bird Bridge to near the top of White Bird Grade.
- US-95 from the Goff (Time Zone) Bridge to Riggins.
Each of these sealcoats are anticipated to take between one to two weeks to complete before crews move on to the next section of highway.
Drivers are encouraged to slow down and be ready to stop when approaching a work zone. Delays may range from 15 to 30 minutes. Patience is appreciated for the safety of crews.
Sealcoats are necessary applications that preserve the road and improve the driving surface by waterproofing the roadway and increasing skid resistance for safety. Some additional crack sealing may be performed as part of this restorative maintenance.
Construction will conclude by the end of August. Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.
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
The Idaho Transportation Department will begin the first of two ramp closures on Monday along Interstate 84. These closures are necessary in order to safely pave the ramps.
To minimize traffic impacts, ITD will conduct nighttime paving on both ramps. Each closure will begin at 8 p.m. and will reopen to traffic the following day by 5:30 a.m. Traffic control will be in place prior to any closures. The scheduled ramp closures, which are weather dependent, are as follows:
- July 15: I-84 Eagle Road eastbound off-ramp
- July 16: I-84 Eagle Road westbound off-ramp
- July 17: I-84 Eagle Road westbound off-ramp
“While a standard pothole patch might last a few months to a year, the repairs we achieve with these overnight closures will last multiple years. This not only minimizes the need for constant maintenance but also significantly reduces the disruption for drivers,” Field Operations Manager Eric Copeland said.
Drivers are encouraged to use the Idaho 511 system by phone, online, or through the app for updated closure information.
Construction by the Union Pacific Railroad is underway to extend a siding track line near Parma that will result in the closure of the railroad crossing on Deb Lane and loss of direct access to U.S. Highway 20/26. Work began on Tuesday, and the permanent closure of the railroad crossing will occur on July 26.
To access US-20/26 after the crossing is removed, drivers should instead cross the railroad line and access the highway via the U.S. Highway 95 Interchange to the west. Crews will build a cul-de-sac at the end of Deb Lane so vehicles can turn around.
Changes were collectively agreed upon between the Union Pacific Railroad, the Idaho Transportation Department and the Notus-Parma Highway District #2. Increased rail activity is expected with the extension of the track line. Given increased train activity and the proximity of other crossings, stakeholders agreed it was appropriate to permanently close the Deb Lane crossing.
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.
RIGBY— The Idaho Transportation Department is utilizing the summer window of opportunity to resurface and repair several roadways across eastern Idaho. Pavement overlays and repairs increase the strength and longevity of our roads, helping them to better withstand the weather conditions in this region. Beginning mid-July, motorists can expect to see traffic limited to one lane as needed in the following work zones:
- Interstate 15, milepost 112 at Bingham County line to Exit 119 at U.S. Highway 20 Interchange. Work in this area through Idaho Falls will be conducted at night from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Traffic will be limited to one lane intermittently in both directions where crews are actively working. Work is expected to last approximately three weeks.
- I-15 Exit 119 to Exit 143 at Sage Junction. Traffic will also be limited to one lane intermittently in both directions where crews are actively working. Work on this section of the interstate will be conducted during daytime hours and last until mid-October.
- US-20 from milepost 264 at Bonneville County line to milepost 301 at the Idaho National Laboratory junction. Beginning mid-July, patch and repair work will be underway, with flaggers and one-lane closures in the working area. This section of road will also undergo a seal coat later in August. Work is expected to be complete by mid-August.
- State Highway 28 milepost 101 at Lemhi River Bridge to milepost 125 at Baker, and milepost 305 to 306 on SH-93 in Salmon. These pavement projects require that a mobile hot mix plant be set up closer to the area of work so asphalt temperatures can be kept where they need to be to correctly build the road. This operation entails equipment parts and pieces being hauled with large transport trucks and then constructed at the Leadore state gravel pit. Once the plant is set up and operational, work is anticipated to last approximately eight weeks. Expect one-lane closures along SH-28 with pilot cars and flaggers in place.
- SH-93 milepost 108 at Mackay to milepost 115 at Mackay Reservoir, and milepost 139 at Willow Creek Summit to SH-75 junction. Traffic will be limited to one lane intermittently using pilot cars and flaggers in the current working area. Both lanes will be open again overnight. Work is expected to begin late July and last until mid-September.
- US-26 northeast of Craters of the Moon visitor center from milepost 230- 240. This section of road will be dug out and replaced with new pavement. Pilot cars and flaggers will direct traffic through one lane. Work is expected to be complete in just six days, beginning in early August.
Remember to use caution and stay alert when traveling through work zones. Up-to-date information on these projects is available by visiting 511.idaho.gov, dialing 5-1-1, or downloading the 511 app.
Idaho drivers should expect delays beginning Wednesday near Homedale, as the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will apply a sealcoat to five miles of State Highway 19. This project will extend the life of the roadway.
SH-19 from the Oregon border to the U.S. Highway 95 Junction in Homedale will be reduced to one lane in the direct area crews are working, with the lane closure moving as work progresses. Vehicles parked along the route will need to be moved prior to work beginning.
Flaggers and a pilot car will help guide traffic through the project area. To minimize traffic disruptions, work will be limited to weekdays from Monday through Thursday. The project is expected to be completed in August.
It’s important for motorists to plan ahead this summer by checking traffic impacts on their route at 511.idaho.gov.
