Innovative virtual public meeting allows Idahoans to comment on upcoming ID-55 project online

To maximize the public’s ability to provide input on upcoming construction, the Idaho Transportation Department is launching a virtual public meeting on proposed improvements for Idaho Highway 55 from Smiths Ferry to Round Valley.

You can view the project information and participate in the virtual public meeting by clicking here or visiting https://bit.ly/2BCNCzx.The Department will receive public comments until March 3. The online meeting tool allows visitors to interactively learn about the project and provide direct feedback to ITD.

The improvements will address existing safety concerns on the corridor by widening the road, adding ditches to catch rockfall and constructing shoulders and guardrail where appropriate. Additional work will improve wildlife habitat and passage under the roadway. The result will be a safer corridor with higher speed limits to improve mobility.

“This project will affect a diverse group of people from far and wide, including nearby residents and recreationists from around the region,” said ITD engineering manager Jason Brinkman. “This virtual public meeting allows us to effectively reach those groups and get their input to help us make well-informed decisions.”

Construction could begin as soon as the Fall of 2019. The work will require significant blasting and excavating of the hillsides adjacent to ID-55. To complete this work, regular closures of several hours will be enforced. ITD will conduct extensive public outreach to inform users of the highway about these impacts and work with them to mitigate the impacts of construction.

DMV blog highlights what’s new with driver’s license services, a snapshot of what’s in store for 2019

UPDATE: Star Card deadline is now May 7, 2025

U.S. Department of Homeland Security notice for REAL ID

Originally published 2/14/2019

A little more than a month into 2019, the Division of Motor Vehicles will be sharing updates about new initiatives and enhancements that are taking place within the Idaho Transportation Department. Much of this information is already regularly shared through DMV GO, an in-house publication shared with all DMV employees, as well as our county sheriff partners in licensing and assessor offices. Moving forward, this blog will share information about DMV services with employees and citizens.

New service enhancements are already in the works for Driver’s License services in 2019. However, we’d like to provide a recap of where we are after vendor software issues caused major service disruptions statewide for customers visiting county driver’s license offices, which are operated by sheriff’s staff.

In early Aug. 2018, the DMV successfully launched the GEM Modernization effort, replacing a 40-year old mainframe system that was outdated. Two weeks later, vendor software for capturing customer pictures and signatures failed—crippling the ability of DMV offices to service customers for one week. It is important to note the failure was with the vendor’s system, not ITD’s modernization effort.

Realizing the vendor was unable to fix the problems, the modernization team (DMV and IT staff) jumped into action and created an entirely new program to capture photos and signatures in just two days. Since then, there have been no outages or shutdowns of DMV offices. Wait times in offices today are essentially back to what they were before the shut down last summer.

Additionally, the DMV has committed several members of the ITD team to visiting county offices and delivering hands-on training regularly in the weeks and months following the August shutdown. The collaboration and communication has been critical to the improved success of our system and the customers it serves.

Concurrent with those efforts, the DMV is in the process of developing an online customer portal that will provide services that allow customers to renew their licenses online. This option would further decrease wait times in county offices. More information on its rollout will be shared in the coming months.

Finally, you’re going to start hearing and seeing a lot about the Star Card, Idaho’s Real ID, as part of a large, multi-faceted media and advertising campaign. The campaign is designed to strongly encourage citizens to renew their license to meet Star Card federal requirements. Without a Real ID, citizens won’t be able to board a plane or enter a federal facility after Oct. 1, 2020. You can learn more about it now by visiting itd.idaho.gov/starcard and using the “Add the Star” tool. It provides a personalized list of documents you will need in order to renew your license with a Star.

Approximately 70,000 of 1.25 licensed Idaho drivers have secured a Star Card to date. Our goal is to see those numbers increase and avoid long lines and missed travel opportunities ahead of the Oct. 2020 deadline.

We look forward to sharing more information highlighting successes in the DMV in our next blog.

Work begins today on I-90 emergency repairs near Kellogg

COEUR d’ALENE – Work began today (Thursday, Feb. 14) at 5 a.m. on Interstate 90 emergency repairs from milepost 48-49 near Kellogg.

Crews are performing a mill and inlay (adding layers of asphalt to create a smoother driving surface) on the pavement in both the east- and westbound lanes of the freeway to correct “dips” in the pavement that appeared during the last week and forced a speed-limit reduction from 75 mph to 45 mph.

The work will be done on one lane of each section (eastbound and westbound) at a time, with traffic shifted over to the other lane. Work on this temporary fix is expected to be completed by 7 p.m. this evening.

However, further work may be necessary throughout the winter to correct the dipping until a more permanent repair can be done this spring/summer.

The Idaho Transportation Department is coordinating with other agencies in the area to investigate the cause of the damage and to develop a long-term fix for the depressions.

The speed limit also will be evaluated to increase it back to as near 75 mph as is safely possible.

The mill and inlay is being completed by Interstate Concrete and Asphalt.

ITD launches comprehensive campaign to raise awareness about Star Card-Idaho’s Real ID

UPDATE: Star Card deadline is now May 7, 2025

U.S. Department of Homeland Security notice for REAL ID

Originally published 2/12/2019

BOISE – A year after Idaho began issuing the Star Card, Idaho’s Real ID, five percent of Idahoans have applied for the card. Without it on a driver’s license, citizens won’t be able to board a plane or enter a federal facility.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security will require a Star Card, or other approved credential such as a passport, to get through security at airports, courthouses, and military bases.

“Unless you have a passport or another compliant identification, you will need to get a Star Card – Idaho’s Real ID to fly on an airplane or visit federal buildings,” Governor Brad Little said. “The last thing I want is for a family or business traveler to miss a vacation or an important work trip because they didn’t get their Star Cards.”

In addition, Governor Little said, “Getting your Star Card soon instead of waiting until the last minute will help minimize long lines at DMV offices.”

To date, 70,000 of 1.25 million licensed drivers in Idaho have a Star Card.

To raise awareness of the deadline, the DMV is launching a new multi-faceted campaign consisting of videos, advertising in Idaho airports, and on social media and travel sites. The campaign message focuses on the Star Card being your “license to fly” and getting it now so “you don’t get left behind.”

The DMV has developed a helpful “Add the Star” online tool the public can use to determine the documents they need to bring to obtain a Star Card. It is also mailing renewal postcards to Idahoans whose driver’s licenses or IDs are going to expire, urging them to consider getting a Star Card.

“The need for a Real ID is here. We are asking Idaho citizens to please go to your local county DMV office as soon as possible to help avoid long lines as we get close to October 1, 2020.” said Idaho Transportation Department Director Brian Ness. “Wait times are back to normal at all offices across the state. To make the renewal process for getting a Star Card easy, visit the ITD website first to ensure you come to your DMV office with the right documents to avoid multiple trips.”

The REAL ID Act of 2005 was enacted by Congress as a result of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.”

For a full list of compliant credentials, visit itd.idaho.gov/starcard

For more information go to the Star Card brochure.

Lower speed limit advised on I-90 near Kellogg

A car loses snow from its roof as it drives over the dip on I-90 near Kellogg.

Drivers are advised to reduce speeds on Interstate 90 near Kellogg due to a dip in the road.

Watch this video to see vehicles drive over the dip.

New signage near milepost 48.6 encourages drivers to drop from 75 mph to 45 mph in the area of the depression. Drivers should pay attention to signage as speed limits may change in accordance with roadway conditions.

The depression appears to be caused by water running under the roadway. The Idaho Transportation Department is monitoring the area and investigating the source of the water to develop a long-term solution. Roadway issues like this typically require deep excavation and reconstruction of the road base.

ITD is exploring options to temporarily fill in the dip as early as next week. In the meantime, drivers are encouraged to reduce their speeds.

Bridge construction starts in Hope in late February

Water flows under ID-200B near Hope, Idaho.

Construction to replace the bridge over Strong Creek on the business route of Idaho Highway 200 will start the last week of February.

Work is expected to last until late June. During that time, the highway will be shut down completely with a detour route posted.

Pedestrian access may be provided depending upon the contractor’s resources. Toward the end of construction, flaggers may be able to allow alternating, one-way traffic over the structure.

Workers are expected to be on site during the day throughout the week, though activity over the weekends is allowed.

A meeting will be held at the Memorial Community Center in Hope on Tuesday, February 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will be primarily for emergency services, but all members of the public are welcome to stop by at any time to ask questions.

The new structure will feature a concrete sidewalk with accessible ramps.

For more information, visit the project website.

ITD expands outreach with first-ever podcast

Utilizing a new and more modern communication tool to expand outreach to the driving public prior to major commute impacts on Interstate 84, ITD’s GARVEE and Communication offices recently collaborated to launch an ITD podcast. The intent of this innovation is to reach a different audience than television, radio, or other media.

The initial focus of the podcast is on widening I-84 in Canyon County. Future podcasts will address significant milestones and upcoming traffic switches as the work in the Nampa-to-Caldwell corridor kicks into high gear later this summer and for the next few construction seasons.

The I-84 Corridor team brainstormed the podcast idea back in 2018 and began to work on the first few podcasts late last year. Communication Manager Vince Trimboli emcees the podcast and brings on various guest experts to discuss specific topics.

You can listen to the first podcast here:

“The podcast is an outreach tool that the department hadn’t yet put into practice, and we thought that with the many commuters on the I-84 corridor, perhaps we could give people another way to keep in touch with what we’re planning and doing in the corridor,” said GARVEE Manager Amy Schroeder, Trimboli’s first guest on the podcast.

The podcast name “Drive Idaho” was chosen because it represents what the department does every day, and can be used statewide.

Alternatives merged in new design developed for Post Falls interchange

Aerial view of the current I-90/ID-41 interchange.

Following a public meeting in November 2018, the Idaho Transportation Department developed a different alternative for the Interstate 90 and Idaho Highway 41 interchange in Post Falls.

The new design merges the advantages of the two alternatives that were developed by a special planning team and presented to the public last fall.

Called an offset single-point urban interchange (SPUI), it features a SPUI shifted north of the interstate, eliminating the extensive impacts to Seltice Way and other local roads that were considered in the previous alternatives. The highway will still move to the west to better accommodate the ramps, and after passing under the interstate, connects to Seltice Way at Herborn Place.

The offset SPUI eliminates the loop ramp at the westbound exit on I-90, a design element that was well-received in the original SPUI design.

Construction costs are estimated to be $39 million, compared to the estimated $65 million for the earlier SPUI design and the $31 million for the half-diamond design.

“People who spoke with us at the meeting or left a comment provided us with valuable feedback that we tried to integrate in this alternative,” project manager Shannon Stein said. “This design achieves the efficiencies of a SPUI interchange and excellent compatibility for future expansion and at a lower cost.”

Members of the public will get a chance to formally comment on the selected design later this year. The project is scheduled to be constructed in 2023. To view other details about the proposed improvements, visit the project website.

D4’s Brumfield uses Wishes for Warriors program

With so much time spent within the walls of our respective trucks, sheds, cubicles and offices, it’s easy to forget that each and every ITD employee lives a life outside of the department. Some may appear to be more colorful than others, more peppered with joy or riddled with strife, but each one has a story to tell should he or she be willing to share.

Let’s take a look this week at Brent Brumfield, a GIS Analyst who joined District 4 of ITD just over a year ago, in December of 2017. Brumfield spends a lot of his time outside of work giving back to those who have given so much to this country.

Originally from Calistoga, California, Brent moved to south-central Idaho via Billings, Montana, where he majored in Environmental Management and Policy at Rocky Mountain College. During his last semester of college, he accepted an offer from AECOM to handle oil and gas remediation, thus kick-starting his professional career.

But his story begins long before Brent accepted his first GIS job offer. In fact, it begins before he even went to college. As a young man of 20 years, he made the decision to join the United States Marine Corps. This story starts there.

“I was really looking for something to change my course in life and I thought that the Marine Corps might be good way to do that,” Brent explained. “I was very close with my grandfather growing up, and he had served as a Marine during WWII. The time he spent serving his country instilled a great amount of pride in my grandfather, and that remained a defining part of his character for the entirety of his life.”

Although Brent knew he was ready for a change in life, he admits he “had no idea what I was getting into.”

“I went from working as a store clerk and in construction jobs, to driving a 26-ton ‘water tank’ carrying 21 Marines (fully loaded) from ship to shore to established beachheads.”

Brent served eight years in the Marines as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle Crewman. He deployed to Iraq once in 2006 and again in 2007 (as part of the 22nd MEU), got married, and even had a son while serving his country. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and also at Camp Pendleton in California.

After his tenure in the Marine Corps, Brent moved his family to Montana in order to pursue his education. His time in the service was never far from his mind, however, and Brent soon discovered there were other ways he could continue to serve his fellow veterans.

“I got involved with Wishes for Warriors when a friend of mine reached out and asked if I would help organize a waterfowl hunt,” said Brumfield. “I had actually participated in one with Wounded Warrior Battalion back when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton, and that experience had a profound and lasting impression on me.”

Brent believes that giving back to others who have been less fortunate during their time of service is crucial in the road to healing.

“During the time of my grandfather, everyone served in the military, so there were people these men and women could talk to and relate with upon their return from war. That changed after Vietnam,” Brent stated “when suddenly service members returned from duty and felt as though they had to keep their military service and experiences bottled up inside.”

“That’s a big part of why I do what I do. Often times it’s less about hunting and more about being that person willing to lend an ear to someone who simply needs to talk about what they went through then, and what they are going through now.”

Brent, along with Wishes for Warriors, feels that outdoor activities are a great way for veterans to bond – particularly when they happen to be facing some struggles either on an internal or external level.

“It’s always great to see these guys who are down, and within the first day of hunting, there’s a personality shift and their overall outlook is like night and day. Suddenly, they are talking and smiling, and you can see that both a physical and mental change has occurred.”

So what’s on the radar next for Brent? Well, he’s currently working with Wishes for Warriors to organize a fishing trip for salmon and steelhead. “We’re hoping to get out on the water sometime in the next few months,” Brent said. “Hopefully the fish will be biting that day.”

If you would like more information on the Wishes for Warriors organization, or to see how to participate, visit www.wishesforwarriorscorp.org.

Bridge on ID-3 in St. Maries reopened last week, ending detour through town

A truck crosses the railroad bridge on ID-3 in St. Maries after its reopening in Jan. 2019.

The St. Maries Railroad Bridge on Idaho Highway 3 is now open to two-way traffic, meaning drivers will no longer need to detour through town.

Crews have also suspended work on the bridge on ID-3 over the river for the winter to ensure the highest quality completed project. Other tasks that are not weather dependent will continue.

Most other traffic and parking situations have returned to how they before construction, specifically:

A four-way stop at ID-3 and ID-5.
Two-way traffic on both 10^th and 11^th Streets north of Main Avenue.
NO four-way stop at Main Avenue and 10^th Street.
The intersection at 10^th Street and Railroad Avenue will be placed back into the original configuration of stop signs on 10^th Street in both direction and free-flowing traffic on Railroad Avenue.

Traffic patterns on the river bridge will continue to function as they have been–two-way traffic shifted to the west side of the structure. In coordination with this work, the south end of Meadowhurst Drive will continue to be closed, and Riverside Avenue under the bridge will be intermittently closed as needed for construction. These impacts will be in place through completion of construction.

Pedestrian access across the river bridge will also remain the same: a sidewalk on the west side of the river bridge connects to a pedestrian crossing over Railroad Avenue and to the new sidewalk on the railroad bridge.

Upon completion in early summer 2019, both bridges will include one lane in each direction with a shoulder and sidewalk on each side. Work also includes reconstructing the highway to match the upgraded bridges, replacing guardrail and signs in several locations and improving the adjoining intersections.

Check 511 for traffic impacts or visit the “Projects” tab at itd.idaho.gov/d1 for more information.

Members of the public are also invited to contact the project team by calling the project hotline at 208-292-8515 or by emailing Gemma Puddy at gpuddy@langdongroupinc.com.