Repairs to the Rock Creek slide on US-95 to begin next week

Barrels and guardrail separate traffic on US-95 from the Rock Creek slide.

Final repairs will begin next week to US-95 near Rock Creek north of Bonners Ferry to address the failing slope, depending on weather and the completion of the contractor’s other slide repairs at milepost 498 near Naples.

Work will last through mid-October and will involve excavating material and installing drains to stabilize the area. A temporary signal will control traffic through the single-lane work zone.

Since the area first slid in April 2017, it has experienced additional rock fall, further undermining the pavement. Maintenance crews provided barriers and signage near the slide while the final fix was designed. To identify why the hillside continued to move and to what extent, ITD authorized a geotechnical investigation and monitored the movement.

To learn more about how ITD responds to slides, visit itdprojects.org/us95rockcreek.

UPDATE: Southbound I-15 traffic will be routed around Rose Road Interchange (Exit 98) at night Sept. 19-20

POCATELLO – The Idaho Transportation Department will direct all traffic on southbound I-15 to use Exit 98 on the nights of Sept. 19-20 during construction at the Rose Road Interchange.

A detour will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. both nights. All traffic on southbound I-15 will be directed to use the off-ramp at Exit 98, and then to use the southbound on-ramp at Exit 98 to continue on I-15. All Exit 98 ramps and Rose Road will remain open.

The nighttime restrictions will allow contractors to demolish the southbound side of the old Rose Road Bridge over I-15. In early October, the contractor will demolish the northbound side.

This work is a part of a project to reconstruct the interchange at Rose Road (Exit 98) on Interstate 15. The interchange is expected to open later this year with additional construction activities to be completed in spring 2020.

More information about the $10.8 million I-15, Rose Road Interchange project is available at itdprojects.org/rose. Citizens may sign up for email updates by texting INTERSTATE 15 to 22828 or emailing I-15construction@itd.idaho.gov.

Lane restrictions on Perrine Bridge expected to continue through October

Image of the Perrine Bridge near Twin Falls

Lane restrictions on the Perrine Bridge are expected to continue through the end of next week, and intermittently through October as crews conduct inspections and maintenance.

Crane operations will require alternating lane closures across the bridge beginning Tuesday, Sept. 24. Motorists are encouraged to slow down and follow signs in the work zone. No full closures are anticipated.

Motorists are encouraged to check the 511 traveler info website at 511.idaho.gov for status updates, as well as conditions and delays.

Paving of US-12 near Orofino starts Thursday

Car drives on deteriorating pavement on US-12 between Big Canyon (Peck) and Orofino

Crews will start paving nearly five miles of US-12 west of Orofino this Thursday, September 19. They are expected to remain on site until the middle of October, though traffic impacts after paving will be minimal.

Replacing deteriorating pavement from Big Canyon Road to Tuning Drive is estimated to take one week, with drivers guided by a pilot car through the single-lane work zone.

Work will take place during daylight hours, and the highway will open fully at night.

Other weather-dependent work includes adding rumble strips and pavement marking. Earlier this year, guardrail was replaced and signage was updated in advance of paving.

Path construction underway between Garwood and Athol

Work has started to further connect Garwood and Athol by building nine miles of a paved shared use path along the east side of US-95 to tie into existing facilities.

Construction will last until late October with minimal impacts to drivers. A shoulder or lane closure on US-95 near Garwood in late September might be necessary for guardrail work along the highway.

The new path is planned to be 12 feet wide and will allow bicyclists and pedestrians to reach Farragut State Park and Silverwood from Coeur d’Alene.

Other project features include flashing beacons and raised concrete refuge islands at crossings near Abbott Road interchange, Bunco Road interchange, Parks Road and Idaho Highway 54.

A small portion of the path near Garwood will not be built until the new overpass is constructed in 2020/2021. Until that section is built, pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to use Pope Road to access the next section.

For more information, visit itdprojects.org/us95garwoodpath.

UPDATE: ITD initiates efforts to make safety improvements to ID-47 and US-20 through the city of Ashton

ASHTON – Following a speed study of traffic on US-20 through the city of Ashton, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is recommending several safety improvements. This will include installing flashing yellow lights, school zone signs and reducing speeds while school is in session.

ITD has already made several safety improvements at the intersection of ID-47 and US-20. ITD crews have installed a flashing “stop ahead” warning sign, a flashing stop sign and rumble strips to alert drivers approaching the intersection on ID-47.

After conducting and finalizing the engineering analysis for US-20 through Ashton, ITD has determined the speed limit should only drop to 35 mph during transition times for school. During the rest of the day, the speed will remain at 45 mph.

ITD must be consistent statewide and ensure speed limits are set according to Idaho law.

In 2012, the Idaho Legislature passed HB619 directing ITD and the Idaho Transportation Board to set speed limits on state highways within city limits. The legislation says, in part, “In establishing speed limits within city limits, ITD must do an investigation and base posted speeds on sound traffic engineering safety standards.”

Nationwide, traffic analyses for speed limits include the determination of the 85^th percentile. This means traffic data is collected to determine what speed the majority of drivers are comfortable traveling.

“When speed limits are not set at the speed drivers are traveling, there is a greater chance for speed variance between vehicles,” said ITD Eastern Idaho Engineering Manager Wade Allen. “Reducing the speed limit below the 85^th percentile speed can result in conditions that are unsafe.”

The US-20 speed study in Ashton included a thorough analysis of crash rate, traffic volumes, road condition, access points, number of lanes, bicycle/pedestrian use and roadside development along US-20 through the city of Ashton.

ITD is committed to make additional safety improvements to the intersection, including installing flashing lights on speed limit reduction (65 mph to 45 mph) signs, and installing dynamic “Your Speed” signs for southbound traffic (northbound sign already exists).

ITD also has a future project to add a signal light at the intersection of US-20 and ID-47, which is currently scheduled for Fiscal Year 2023.

For more information, please click on the following links to learn more about how ITD sets speed limits and to see the ITD Speed Limit brochure.

UPDATE: Overnight detour planned for Salt Lake Interchange project east of Burley

Due to inclement weather, the traffic detour planned for Wednesday of this week has been rescheduled for the early morning hours of Thursday, September 12. This detour will affect motorists heading eastbound on Interstate 84 from Burley toward Pocatello. During this time, crews will work to place concrete on the deck of the newly constructed steel girder bridge.

Weather permitting, this temporary traffic pattern is expected to be in effect between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.

This is part of the Salt Lake Interchange replacement project, underway since May of last year. Construction is scheduled to finish by late 2020.

Drivers should still anticipate reduced speeds through the work zone and pay close attention to signage which will be in place to safely direct motorists through the area.

Wadsworth Brothers Construction, of Draper, Utah is the prime contractor on this project.

Eastbound 216 interchange on-ramp closure expected this week near Declo

Work is expected to occur this Wednesday, Sept. 11 on the Interstate 84 eastbound 216 on-ramp near Declo. The Idaho Transportation Department will mill off the existing pavement and inlay the area with new asphalt to improve the overall condition of the roadway.

The eastbound 216 interchange on-ramp will be closed while this work takes place. Motorists will need to utilize on-ramp 208 or 211 for eastbound I-84 access near Declo.

Repairs are anticipated to take place between 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and be complete within a day.

I-84 in Nampa will be detoured overnight Sept. 16-19 for work on Karcher Overpass

Interstate 84 will be closed overnight between the Karcher/Midland and Northside interchanges on Monday, Sept. 16 through Thursday, Sept. 19. The closures will allow crews to safely remove the wooden forms that temporarily supported the new bridge deck this summer.

Westbound I-84 will be closed for two nights – Sept. 16 and Sept. 17. Each night I-84 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Eastbound I-84 will be closed for two nights – Sept. 18 and Sept. 19. Each night I-84 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

During the four overnight closures, motorists will exit I-84 at Karcher/Midland or Northside and follow a detour along Karcher Road. Flaggers will direct traffic. View the detour map.

Lane restrictions and flaggers will also be in place on the Northside Boulevard between the ramps each night while crews begin to work on the new bridge.

The new Karcher Overpass is on schedule to re-open later this fall. Reconstruction of the Northside Interchange has begun and will continue through early 2021.

For more information about the reconstruction of I-84 in Canyon County, visit itdprojects.org/84Corridor. To receive construction updates; text 84corridor to 555888. “Drive Idaho,” ITD’s new podcast series on all things I-84 in Canyon County, is available for download on Spotify and Apple Podcast and other major podcast sharing sites.

Fatalities Decrease During 100 Deadliest Days

Note: According to data in early October, there were 93 fatalities during the 100 Deadliest Days. The below data was accurate as of publication of this post on Sept. 10, 2019.

BOISE — This summer, 91 people died as a result of traffic crashes according to preliminary data from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). This is down from the summer of 2018, when 101 people were killed in crashes during the same time period.

The summer months typically bring with them an uptick in deadly crashes both in Idaho and nationally. Because of this trend, the period of time between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend is often referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer Driving.

“Summer driving is a big concern of ours,” said Highway Safety Manager John Tomlinson. “This is why we work so closely with law enforcement agencies and other partners throughout the state to promote safe, engaged driving.”

This summer, the Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funded four high visibility enforcements. During these different enforcement periods, law enforcement agencies were provided grant funding to put extra officers on the roads, looking for seat belt violations and aggressive and impaired drivers.

In addition to these grant-funded mobilizations, several media campaigns ran statewide encouraging everyone on the roads to make safe choices.

“It’s so important to get these messages out to the public,” Tomlinson said. “Our law enforcement partners do wonderful work but they can’t be everywhere. If we are going to prevent these fatal crashes, we need drivers to make smart and safe choices.”

100 Deadliest Days at a Glance:*
• The majority of the 91 people killed in crashes were in passenger vehicles.
– 62 Automobile
– 17 Motorcycle
– 6 Other (ATV/UTV)
– 4 Pedestrian
– 2 Pedacycle
• 75 people died in crashes on rural roads and 16 people were killed on urban roads.
• In the 62 passenger vehicle fatalities, 28 people were not wearing seatbelts.
• Failure to maintain a lane was a contributing factor in 23 fatalities.
• Impairment was a contributing factor in 17 fatalities.
• 13 fatalities involved an aggressive-driving behavior.
• 8 fatalities involved inattentive driving.

*Data is preliminary and may be subject to change.