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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.

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.

An independent team assembled by the Idaho Transportation Department to conduct a road safety audit on U.S. 12/U.S. 95 in front of Aht’Wy Plaza delivered recommendations yesterday.

The team developed recommendations to address highway safety concerns near entrances to the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge after the deaths of two drivers within approximately three months. Team members came from Nez Perce Tribal Transportation Department, Nez Perce County Road and Bridge, the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, the Federal Highway Administration, ITD and ITD’s Office of Highway Safety.

They recommended an interchange, which is already planned for the east entrance, as the long-term solution to provide safe access from the plaza to the highway. The following phased options could be pursued by the Nez Perce Tribe with ITD before its construction.

• Short-term options: All incoming traffic would enter at the west approach, and all exiting traffic would leave at the east approach.
• Later options: Three possible options were presented and could be implemented individually or jointly.
  • Add an acceleration lane for eastbound traffic at the east entrance.
  • Widen the westbound right turn lane at the east entrance to create separation between turning and thru traffic.
  • Create ThrU-turns for both intersections. All left turns into and out of the plaza would be accomplished by first turning right and then making a U-turn to reach a destination.

Lowering the speed limit was considered but not recommended.

As part of the audit, the team evaluated road conditions and driver behavior. Factors not considered in the audit include construction costs, environmental impacts and right of way impacts.

A final report will be issued in three to four weeks. ITD will start assessing the viability of all recommendations with the tribe in the meantime.

Highway safety partners came together on December 28 to raise drivers’ awareness near the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge on US-12 in Lewiston.

Officers from several local agencies participated in a special patrol near the entrances and allowed ITD traffic engineer Jared Hopkins to ride along.

For four hours, officers looked for traffic infractions and handed out a letter—instead of a ticket—to encourage drivers to discuss safety at home. Nearly forty drivers received a letter.

The letter read:

Dear Driver:

Today you’ll see extra officers from local law enforcement agencies in the area.

We’re working together for the safety of yourself and other drivers on this stretch of US-12/US-95 in front of Aht’wy Plaza (Clearwater River Casino and Lodge). We’ve lost too many from our community at this location recently, and we hope the sight of so many police cars reminds you to stay alert, whether you are exiting the casino or driving past it.

Several of these agencies will also be participating in a road safety audit next month to look at data regarding speed limits, crashes and driver behavior. The goal is to identify strategies to improve safety immediately in the area while design continues for a full interchange. The interchange’s design will be completed next winter, with construction following once funding is secured.

Our efforts today are to raise awareness, rather than write tickets. Follow our efforts on Twitter with #US12casino #live #patrolpartners and stay safe.

From Nez Perce Tribal Police, Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police and Idaho Transportation Department

The joint patrol allowed law enforcement and ITD staff to watch the intersections together and share their thoughts.

“The patrol gave me the opportunity to observe, and I saw several vehicles failing to stop at the west exit and only one speeding,” Hopkins said. “I was also able to clarify how speed limits are set, so that the officers enforcing them knew why the limit is and remains 65 mph.”

Fresh perspectives will benefit the road safety audit, which is scheduled later this month.

View coverage of the event by typing in the hashtags or @IdahoITD on Twitter. For more information on commonly proposed ideas to improve safety in the area, visit the news tab at itd.idaho.gov/d2.

Crashes near Aht’wy Plaza have become too frequent of a sight for those who drive past them or see them on the news. Too many of them have ended with a loss to our community.

While it is not a new area of concern for drivers on US-12 near the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge, many have been motivated by two recent deaths to offer their own solutions.

Several have been considered by the Idaho Transportation Department as the area developed, but these inquiries provide an opportunity to clarify why certain actions have or have not been taken.

LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT

Although this seems to be the easy answer, lowering the speed limit may not be the best solution.

Speed limits are generally determined by how fast drivers comfortably and naturally move in the area, usually set at a pace described as what is “safe and reasonable.” They are safest when the majority of drivers are traveling the same speed, which is why ITD conducts speed studies to determine the speed at which 85 percent of drivers are traveling at or below before establishing a limit.

Speed studies are typically prompted by changes to the area, including new businesses opening and fluctuations in traffic patterns, as well as requests to adjust any speed zones. Five studies have been conducted near the casino since its opening by both the Nez Perce Tribe and by ITD, with the earliest study occurring in 1997 and the most recent in October 2018. ITD has also met with the Idaho State Police multiple times to analyze crash data.

To date, these discussions and drivers’ speeds have not supported changing the limit, and without either a serious commitment of law enforcement resources or a serious change in roadway conditions, reducing the speed limit would not be effective in improving safety or slowing traffic to or from the area.

While vehicles moving at lower speeds would impact each other with less force, that would only be the case if all drivers were moving at that lower speed limit. But if one driver was following the lower, posted speed limit and another was moving at the natural pace allowed by the road, additional conflicts could arise.

The greatest concern is that some drivers would obey the slower posted speed limit and others would not. As these drivers encountered slower vehicles, they would likely make more abrupt and unpredictable movements (like last-minute lane changes), which could increase the crash rate.

Most crashes at the entrances have been related to exiting drivers failing to yield to oncoming traffic when turning left. Variation in vehicle speeds through the area would likely make that left turn tougher—with some vehicles approaching at lower speeds and others at higher speeds, it would be difficult to judge a safe gap in traffic.

ITD has repeatedly investigated the safety and appropriateness of the posted limit, with each study supporting the current limit to prevent a possible increase in crashes.

INSTALLING A SIGNAL

If most crashes are related to drivers experiencing difficulty turning left, then it is reasonable that a signal could improve safety.

Just as speed limits are set a certain way based on data collection and analysis, signals are normally installed at specific locations once shown to be warranted.

Signal warrants are based on a variety of engineering factors, including how many vehicles make which turning movements. Although an engineer’s judgment can influence the final decision, these warrants are the primary basis for signal installation to ensure that traffic continues to flow smoothly.

Signals should only be installed when warranted as they typically increase certain kinds of crashes, including rear-end collisions.

Data collected from the entrances in 2012 did not support installing a signal or merit interrupting the flow of traffic on the highway.

IF NOTHING ELSE, CLOSING ACCESS

ITD uses access agreements all over the state to ensure that new or changing developments near highways do not create safety or mobility issues for drivers.

In the case of the casino, access to US-12 was initially provided by a county road which already had an agreement in place. When the county transferred the road to the casino in 2000, it altered its use, prompting a fresh access agreement.

A traffic impact study performed near the time of the development of the access agreement proposed an interchange as the ultimate solution, especially given expansion plans for the facility. It also outlined smaller improvements that could be implemented in the meantime to keep up with the growth of the facility and traffic to it while design continued on the interchange.

The tribe agreed to these terms, giving ITD the authority to restrict access if the commitments were not met. In the intervening years, some phased improvements—such as lighting, turn bays and acceleration lanes—have been constructed, but the final commitment remains unfulfilled.

Rather than close access and hinder productive relationships, ITD chose to work as a partner to the tribe. The department has remained involved in the design process, providing input on the development of the interchange to guarantee it will meet standards when incorporated into the public transportation system. ITD has listened to the tribe’s concerns, granted extensions when necessary and helped aid environmental discussions needed to complete the proposed interchange.

THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION

Although development of the interchange has been delayed for a few years as the tribe encountered environmental issues common to this type of project, they have funded other improvements proposed by ITD in the meantime, including the construction of a concrete island and the placement of additional signage in the area in the last year.

In January, a team of diverse professionals will meet to examine the data—all refreshed in the last month—as well as driver behavior to identify any and all solutions.

The best solution remains—and has always been—an interchange, but the road safety audit aims to determine effective steps that can be implemented immediately. ITD will work with the tribe to carry out any viable solutions the team recommends.

The interchange’s design is set for completion next winter, with construction following the tribe’s procurement of funds.

Construction of the interchange will reduce the possibility and frequency of crashes. Engineering and enforcement can help improve safety, but only engaged drivers can truly ensure safety while accessing and using the highway.