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Traffic on US-95 will be reduced to one lane as repairs to a slide near Naples start Monday, July 15.

Temporary signals and flaggers will control traffic over the next two months as crews excavate the existing slope and place rocks to improve drainage and stabilize the hill.

Work this week will improve Starlight Road for use during construction but will not affect US-95 traffic.

The hill slid onto the road in March 2017 and was captured on video by an ITD employee.

Watch the video.

Earlier improvements to the slide area included removing material, installing a barrier to catch debris and investigating subsurface conditions. Permanent repairs were designed and bid last fall, with construction timed this year to avoid springtime moisture and high water tables.

Read more about emergency repairs online at itdprojects.org/us95naplesslide.

Two projects will begin this week in the Coeur d’Alene area.

• Nighttime resurfacing of Interstate 90 between the state line and the Northwest Boulevard exit will eliminate rutting. Starting Wednesday night (July 10), drivers can expect single-lane closures on I-90, with the first lane closed in the eastbound direction. Ramps will be closed as they are repaved. Conditions will revert to normal during the day, with resurfacing lasting until September. More information is available atorg/statelineresurfacing.
• A two-year project to maximize mobility on US-95 in CDA and Hayden will start today (July 8) with surveying of the adjacent path. Traffic impacts are not expected until the following week when ADA upgrades begin. Changes are funded by a $5.1 million federal grant with match money from ITD, the city of Coeur d’Alene and the city of Hayden to create uniform signal spacing and add capacity on side streets. Lane closures will be possible during turn lane construction, and turning/through movements will not be allowed at non-signalized intersections during and after curbed median installation. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be affected for most of the season with detours and closed crosswalks. Work this year is planned to end in November. More information, specifically on scheduling and pedestrian impacts, is available at org/us95intersections.

Travelers may subscribe for email updates on the US-95 intersections project online. Traffic impacts across the state are available at 511.idaho.gov.

Starting Monday, July 15 work will start to resurface approximately seven miles of ID-41 between Roberts Lane near Blanchard to Old Priest River Road near Oldtown. Nearly all permitted approaches will be paved during construction, which is planned to start in mid-July and end in August.

Crews will be on site during the day, with a pilot car leading alternating, one-way traffic. Flaggers will be stationed at each approach as work progresses. Both lanes of ID-41 will open at night when crews are not on site.

To learn more, visit itdprojects.org/id41blanchardoldtown.

The Idaho Transportation Department is seeking public comment from July 2 – August 2 on the FY 2020-26 draft of the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP), and all transportation stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

The ITIP is a seven-year “roadmap” for planning and developing transportation projects, including:

• Highways and bridges
• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Highway safety
• Railroad crossing safety
• Airports
• Public transportation
• Transportation planning
• Freight

The transportation department is offering an online, interactive map that allows users to choose specific project categories and learn about work that is planned for the area of Idaho they’re interested in. It’s called the Idaho Transportation Project Map.

View the draft ITIP and interactive map.

The draft ITIP document lists projects by highway route and location, identifies projected years for right-of-way acquisition, preliminary engineering, construction and estimated project costs. It also lists local construction projects that are federally funded.

The projects start in 2020, and go through 2026. Notable upcoming projects in North-Central Idaho include:

• US-95 expansion between Thorncreek and Moscow beginning in 2020, pending land acquisition and a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. More information is available at itdprojects.org/us95thorncreektomoscow.
• US-95 expansion through Culdesac Canyon. Ongoing work will be followed with construction of the final two phases in 2023 to add a passing lane between Winchester and Culdesac. More information is available at itdprojects.org/us-95-culdesac-canyon-passing-lane.
• Portions of US-12 between Kooskia and Montana that were not addressed with 2018 construction will be resurfaced and possibly widened with the earliest project scheduled for 2022.

Public comments will help the department determine if proposed projects meet the department’s three main objectives of improving safety, mobility and economic opportunity.

Production of the ITIP is a year-round process that relies on input from elected officials, citizens, tribal governments, other state and federal agencies, Idaho’s metropolitan planning organizations, the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, and other interested organizations.

Comments can be e-mailed to adam.rush@itd.idaho.gov or mailed to ITIP – Comments, Attn: Adam Rush, P.O. Box 7129, Boise, ID  83707-1129. Paper or CD copies of the ITIP will be provided upon request by contacting Rush at (208) 334-8119 or by e-mail at adam.rush@itd.idaho.gov.

A request for a paper copy or CD also can be mailed to: Idaho Transportation Department, Adam Rush, P.O. Box 7129, Boise, ID  83707-1129.

A printed copy can be reviewed at any of ITD’s district offices in Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Boise, Shoshone, Pocatello and Rigby.

All comments on the draft will be reviewed after Aug. 2. After approval by the Idaho Transportation Board, the ITIP is submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Idaho Transportation Department is seeking public comment from July 2 – August 2 on the FY 2020-26 draft of the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP), and all transportation stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

The ITIP is a seven-year “roadmap” for planning and developing transportation projects, including:

• Highways and bridges
• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Highway safety
• Railroad crossing safety
• Airports
• Public transportation
• Transportation planning
• Freight

The transportation department is offering an online, interactive map that allows users to choose specific project categories and learn about work that is planned for the area of Idaho they’re interested in. It’s called the Idaho Transportation Project Map.

View the draft ITIP and interactive map.

The draft ITIP document lists projects by highway route and location, identifies projected years for right-of-way acquisition, preliminary engineering, construction and estimated project costs. It also lists local construction projects that are federally funded.

The projects start in 2020, and go through 2026. Notable upcoming projects in North Idaho include:

• Idaho Highway 41 expansion between Post Falls and Rathdrum beginning in 2020. More information is available at itdprojects.org/id41corridor.
• US-95 expansion at Granite Hill north of CDA beginning in 2020. More information is available at itdprojects.org/us-95-granite-north-improvements.
• Addition of an eastbound lane on Interstate 90 between Atlas Road and Government Way in 2026. More information is available at itdprojects.org/i90atlastogov.

As part of balancing the budget and the needs of the northern five counties, some project schedules were adjusted, including the redesign of the US-95/Lincoln Way/Walnut Avenue intersection in CDA. That project was delayed from 2021 to 2026.

Public comments will help the department determine if proposed projects meet the department’s three main objectives of improving safety, mobility and economic opportunity.

Production of the ITIP is a year-round process that relies on input from elected officials, citizens, tribal governments, other state and federal agencies, Idaho’s metropolitan planning organizations, the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, and other interested organizations.

Comments can be e-mailed to adam.rush@itd.idaho.gov or mailed to ITIP – Comments, Attn: Adam Rush, P.O. Box 7129, Boise, ID  83707-1129. Paper or CD copies of the ITIP will be provided upon request by contacting Rush at (208) 334-8119 or by e-mail at adam.rush@itd.idaho.gov.

A request for a paper copy or CD also can be mailed to: Idaho Transportation Department, Adam Rush, P.O. Box 7129, Boise, ID  83707-1129.

A printed copy can be reviewed at any of ITD’s district offices in Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Boise, Shoshone, Pocatello and Rigby.

All comments on the draft will be reviewed after Aug. 2. After approval by the Idaho Transportation Board, the ITIP is submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Blasting and equipment removal are planned near ongoing work to add a passing lane in Culdesac Canyon on US-95, requiring intermittent, hours-long closures from 7 p.m. tonight to 4 a.m. tomorrow morning (July 2).

A blast is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., during which the road will be closed and not reopen until after debris is cleared, approximately 1.5 hours later.

Between 10 p.m. and 4 am, drivers can expect longer closures as crews remove a crane that fell Saturday afternoon onto US-95. Traffic will be allowed to pass around midnight, but between midnight and 4 a.m., drivers may not be able to pass through the area for up to three hours. No detours will be posted.

The crane fell while installing a temporary bridge. No one was injured during the incident, and crews were able to open US-95 to one lane later that afternoon.

Blasting operations are planned for the next two years in this area, with updates posted to 511.idaho.gov and displayed on message signs near the project. Traffic impacts are not expected July 3-5, though crews will be working in the area.