6/3/2024 Update
The closure planned at the Simco Road Interchange for last week has been rescheduled for today (June 3).
The westbound off-ramp of Interstate 84 at the Simco Road Interchange will be closed for construction today beginning at 6 a.m. and will reopen tomorrow. Vehicles using the westbound off-ramp will be rerouted to Mayfield (Exit 71).
At the end of this week, traffic on the eastbound lanes will shift to the left before Exit 71. The westbound lanes will remain open with intermittent daytime closures. The Simco Road Bridge will remain open as one lane. Drivers can expect reduced speeds when approaching the interchange.
Construction began in July 2023 to replace the bridge over I-84, originally built in 1959. Work is expected to be complete this summer.
The Idaho Transportation Department reminds drivers to be patient, slow down and obey all posted signs in the construction zone. Travelers should check 511.idaho.gov before driving in the area.
5/28/2024 Original Story
The westbound off-ramp of Interstate 84 at the Simco Road Interchange will be closed for construction tomorrow and will reopen Thursday. Vehicles using the westbound off-ramp will be rerouted to Mayfield (Exit 71).
At the end of next week, traffic on the eastbound lanes will shift to the left before Exit 71. The westbound lanes will remain open with intermittent daytime closures. The Simco Road Bridge will remain open as one lane. Drivers can expect reduced speeds when approaching the interchange.
Construction began in July 2023 to replace the bridge over I-84, originally built in 1959. Work is expected to be complete this summer.
The Idaho Transportation Department reminds drivers to be patient, slow down and obey all posted signs in the construction zone. Travelers should check 511.idaho.gov before driving in the area.
On May 28 the Idaho Transportation Department will begin resurfacing U.S. Highway 2 starting at its junction with U.S. Highway 95 east to the Montana state line. This project will improve safety and the drivers’ experience with a smooth new surface.
Crews will begin at the junction and work east through fall, often during both daytime and nighttime hours. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane.
Pilot cars will be utilized to guide alternating lanes of traffic through the active work zone.
Drivers should anticipate delays in travel ranging from 15 to 30 minutes, and plan accordingly.
Throughout the course of this project, crews will be grinding down the top layer of asphalt and replacing the paved surface to correct deficiencies and soft spots from US-95 to the Moyie Bridge.
East of Moyie Bridge a more comprehensive restructuring process will take place beyond milling down through the base layer of the highway to fully reconstruct the road base and driving surface. This process—known as Cement Recycled Asphalt Based Stabilization, or CRABS—is both efficient and cost effective.
“We pulverize the existing asphalt, mix in cement to help stabilize and strengthen the mixture to use as a base, and then we pave over top of that,” Project Manager Megan Koski said.
The Port of Entry station at Three Mile Junction will also be reconstructed and is expected to experience intermittent, temporary interruptions of service as the asphalt is being reconstructed at their current location. As an alternate, people may contact the Huetter Port of Entry for permits, registrations, or questions at (208) 769-1551.
Travelers are encouraged to use the Idaho 511 system for updated traffic impacts through the construction season.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will close the westbound on-ramp (heading toward Boise) at the I-84 South Jerome Interchange (Exit 168) on Tuesday, May 28. The ramp will remain closed for a few months while crews build the new westbound on-ramp.
Traffic will be detoured to the Main Street/Highway 25 Interchange (Exit 165). Motorists will be directed north on S Lincoln Avenue, west on W Avenue D, north on S Birch Street and west on W Main Street/Highway 25. Click here to see a detour map.
Motorists can continue to expect intermittent local road closures, I-84 lane closures, traffic shifts and ramp changes throughout the duration of the project. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2026.
Details about the I-84 South Jerome Interchange project are available at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/sjeromeic or by texting 84JTF to 1-866-483-8422.
Drivers should check 511.idaho.gov before traveling to plan for impacts from this project and other work zones.
Exit 332 on U.S. Highway 20 in Rexburg will completely close for one month beginning next Wednesday, May 29 to allow crews to quickly build a new unique diverging diamond interchange (DDI) that will greatly improve the flow of traffic.
All ramps at this exit and University Boulevard between the ramps will be closed to traffic and detoured to nearby interchanges. Through traffic on US-20 will be unaffected during construction.
Detours include Exit 328 at Thorton and Main Street Exit 333 in Rexburg. A temporary signal has been set up at Exit 333 to accommodate additional traffic. Access to businesses near Exit 332 will remain open with signage in place to direct drivers.
“Closing the exit allows crews to work at a significantly faster rate. Our goal is to have this interchange reopened before the Fourth of July,” Resident Engineer and Project Manager Conner Huffaker said.
Motorists should use caution and be aware of congestion. Crews will coordinate with emergency responders to ensure access through the closed construction zone when needed.
Once Exit 332 is reopened, work to construct the same DDI design at Exit 333 will begin. The closure of Exit 333 is expected to begin late July or early August.
More details about these projects can be found at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg. Also stay up to date on Idaho road conditions by visiting 511.idaho.gov, calling 5-1-1 or downloading the app.
The Idaho Transportation Department is continuing work on the Interstate roadway and bridges from the south Inkom interchange to the Portneuf interchange. Ongoing work includes guardrail repair, paving, and patching and repairing bridge decks. In addition, crews are patching pier caps, applying epoxy overlays, and waterproofing parapets on the Rapid Creek, South Inkom interchange, and Portneuf River bridges.
Work is anticipated to continue through the end of June with single lane crossovers. Drivers are reminded to slow down in work zones, allow other vehicles to merge, and drive defensively.
Replacement of the West Inkom interchange, Union Pacific Railroad, and Main Street bridges are still planned for next year.
Work begins today on SH-54 east of Athol on a minor paving improvement project ahead of sealcoat work later this summer.
The Idaho Transportation Department is adding a thin layer of pavement to the right, outside lanes of travel to help smooth the driving surface and improve the ride.
Crews started near Athol and are working in the eastbound, outside lane with this mobile operation. Once they reach Farragut State Park they will then turn around and work back towards Athol on the outside, westbound lane.
During construction one lane in both directions will remain open for travel, with a mandatory speed reduction to 45 mph and intermittent flagging.
This project is expected to be complete by next Wednesday, with contractors scheduled to return mid-July to protect and seal the entire width of the roadway.
Motorists should expect minor traffic changes on U.S. Highway 95 and U.S. Highway 12 at Aht’Wy Plaza near the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge as early as next week as crews prepare to pave the highway and ramps. The ongoing construction will shift in anticipation of paving operations:
- May 13 – May 15: Concrete barrier will be removed in the center and moved to the outside of the traveling lanes. Traffic will be pushed to the outside lanes with one lane in each direction.
- May 18: Paving will commence and take an estimated five days to complete. Traffic will shift from the inside lanes to outside lanes and vise versa. Please note the temporary entrance on the west side of the RV park will close. During this time, motorists trying to head north or south will leave the plaza at the east entrance.
- May 23: Crews will restripe two lanes in both directions. Only one lane will be striped at a time during this switch. Traffic will switch periodically from the fast lane to the slow lane in both directions during the painting.
- May 24: Traffic will be restored back to one lane in each direction. The temporary entrance on the west side will re-open in anticipation of Memorial Day Weekend.
The interchange is scheduled for completion in mid-November and will provide safer access to Aht’Wy Plaza by providing uninterrupted movement off and over the highway.
Live traffic impacts like these can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app
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.
CATALDO — Construction started Monday to finish paving and installing new barrier on 6 miles of Interstate 90 east of Fourth of July Pass to Cataldo.
Until work ends in June, the speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour, and traffic will be reduced to a single lane in both directions.
Construction first began in 2022 to resurface the freeway, widen the inside shoulder and install concrete barrier to separate the lanes to prevent head-on collisions.
Travelers are encouraged to be aware of other work zones on I-90 and are advised to check 511.idaho.gov.
Next week the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will start the final construction tasks to improve safety on I-90 at the Division Street and Elizabeth Park Road overpasses.
Crews will remove the temporary pavement that was placed in 2022 and finish the driving surface for the eastbound bridges. They will also address drainage on the westbound bridge over Division Street.
Construction is anticipated to start April 29, at which time traffic on I-90 will be restricted to one lane in each direction and crossed over the westbound lanes for up to two months. No impacts are expected for Division Street or Elizabeth Park Road.
In the past two years, crews have replaced the eastbound and westbound bridges, widened the eastbound on-ramp at Division Street, and repaved both Division Street and Elizabeth Park Road under the overpasses.
Additionally, improvements to the eastbound bridge over Pine Creek in Pinehurst are anticipated to start in late May. I-90 will be reduced to one lane in each direction for approximately one month as crews remove and replace the concrete surface.
Speed limits for both construction zones will be reduced to 55 mph for the safety of drivers and workers.
Visit 511.idaho.gov or download the app for statewide traffic information.
