TRAVEL ADVISORY: Motorists urged to use caution on ID-55 between Banks and Cascade

BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Department is warning motorists to use caution on Idaho Highway 55 between Banks and Cascade due to rapidly deteriorating pavement.

Harsh winter weather has caused the pavement in this stretch to break up, leaving significant potholes and frost heaves. ITD maintenance crews have been working non-stop to fill potholes with a cold patch material, but inclement weather is causing new potholes to rapidly form and some patches to fail.

“Crews are out plowing snow and patching potholes around the clock,” said ITD Southwest District Maintenance Manager Michael Garz. “But it’s not doing the trick. Rain, snow, and temperature swings are popping out patches, leaving the road in rough shape.”

ITD has placed several warning signs on the road, urging drivers to use caution and reduce their speed. More signs are currently being deployed. Using alternate routes, such as U.S. 95 is strongly encouraged.

The Department has a project funded to repave this stretch of road this year. That work will begin as soon as weather allows this spring. For more information on the project, visit https://itdprojects.org/id55smithsferryrepave/

Extreme winter weather closes roads, stretches resources

A series of winter storms pounded Idaho this week, bringing heavy snowfall to the region and causing multiple road closures. The extreme weather forced ITD to rally personnel and equipment to meet the challenge. The department shifted equipment and staffing resources as best as possible around the state. It has been all-hands-on deck for much of the last two weeks as crews continue working hard to plow and clear roads as quickly and safely as possible.

From new snow to low visibility, drifting, and several avalanches or threats of slides, the department was hit hard in several areas. The worst winter weather seemed to reside in eastern Idaho, while avalanche conditions in District 3 and District 4 made several popular routes impassable.

“ITD’s primary mission is maintaining the safety and mobility of Idaho’s transportation system,” said ITD Chief Deputy Scott Stokes. “We only close roads when the traveling public and our ITD crews are in jeopardy. If a road is closed, that means it is completely impassable and unsafe for travel.”

For current road conditions and updates, please check the department’s traveler advisory site, 511.idaho.gov.

The department also has a winter readiness website. Please visit Idaho Ready.

Work on US-12 improvements in Lewiston begins in March; open house Feb. 28

Vehicles move through the US-12 and 21st Street intersection, which is set for reconstruction in 2019.

The Idaho Transportation Department invites the public to attend an open house on Feb. 28 about upcoming improvements to the US-12 and 21^st Street intersection.

The open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel in Lewiston (621 21st St.). Attendees will have an opportunity to view construction phasing and detours for work that is scheduled to begin in March and last through October.

Construction will improve safety and traffic flow at the busiest intersection in Central Idaho by creating a more standard intersection. View the full list of changes.

The intersection will remain closed for the season, with the following detours in place:

East of the intersection, drivers may use 24^th Street to go south on 21^st Street or 26^th Street to go north on 21^st Street to and from East Main Street. During construction, both streets will be converted to one-way streets.
West of the intersection, drivers may use 18^th Street and Idaho Street to head north and south on 21^st Street to US-12.

Through traffic on US-12 will not be detoured but will be reduced to one lane in each direction. A temporary signal will be installed at East Main Street and the highway to allow drivers to directly travel east on US-12 or Main Street.

Crews will typically be on site throughout the week during the day, but work is allowed on weekends. Visitors to Locomotive Park can expect short closures during the first phase of construction as city stormwater improvements are installed.

Interested members of the public may sign up for an e-newsletter by visiting the project website.

Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Replacement in Gooding County

As early as mid-February, US-30 west of Bliss to Interstate 84 will be closed while the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge undergoes replacement. Motorists traveling to Bliss via I-84 will need to use Exit 141.

Construction work will include installment of a new box culvert as well as utility relocation. The new bridge structure will have an increased width to allow for larger vehicles to pass. Approximately 1.5 miles of US-30 will also be reconstructed as part of this project.

Subject to weather conditions, work is expected to be complete this fall. The railroad will continue to be operational throughout construction.

Western Construction, Inc. from Boise is the contractor for this project.

The Idaho Transportation Department is responsible for all highways on the State Highway System – interstates, state highways and U.S. routes. All other roads are under the jurisdiction of the local, city or county entity.

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.