Sandpoint bridges to be inspected this week

The Long Bridge on US-95 and the adjacent pedestrian bridge near Sandpoint will undergo inspection this week to assess the need for future repairs.

Inspectors will use a boat and fly a drone underneath both bridges at the beginning of the week, with an on-the-bridge inspection of the Long Bridge on Thursday that starts at 7 a.m. and could last the entire day.

No lane closures are anticipated on the Long Bridge during this routine inspection, but travelers should expect slightly shifted lanes and be aware of reduced speeds throughout the area. The pedestrian bridge will not be impacted.

On June 14, an in-depth examination of both bridges will take place where inspectors will use the department’s newest UBIT, or under bridge inspection truck. This UBIT, which the bridge inspection crew named Kenny, has the ability to maneuver inspectors up to 62 feet under, around and in the substructure of bridges to check for signs of stress and recommend maintenance work.

Final repairs for both bridges are scheduled for 2022 and will help extend the service lives of the structures. The pedestrian bridge, which formerly served vehicular traffic across Lake Pend Oreille, was built in 1956, and the Long Bridge was built in 1981.

To follow Kenny’s path through the state, follow ITD on Facebook and use #catchKenny.

Idaho receives notice of $90 million federal grant for I-84 work

An area of major need in Idaho may get a vital shot of federal money, as federal officials shortlisted $90.24 million in grant funds to help ease congestion on Interstate 84 in the Treasure Valley between the Karcher Interchange and Franklin Boulevard. The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant will also allow improvements benefiting the movement of good and services on the heavily used route.

The improvements include widening I-84 to three lanes in each direction in this 2.8-mile section, adding auxiliary lanes, replacing and widening an overpass and an under-sized canal structure, replacing and expanding two bridges over a railroad and canal, performing ramp improvements, reconstructing an interchange, and rebuilding a bridge over the freeway.

This area sees nearly 100,000 vehicle trips per day, and commercial trucks comprise a significant percentage of that traffic.

The project is innovative because of its use of diverse local and state matching funds. Idaho’s application was a joint effort between ITD and COMPASS (the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho). COMPASS was instrumental in spearheading the funding application, arranging for needed funds from the city of Caldwell and Canyon County.

The Idaho Transportation Board also was innovative in its use of state money as a matching funding source. The grant offsets 60% of the project’s total estimated cost of $150 million.

By law, the U.S. Congress (the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works) has 60 days to review before award can be made.

“Idaho is the fastest-growing state in the country, and receiving this grant shows the importance of the Interstate 84 corridor for moving freight, along with our own goods and services, across the west and the world,” said ITD Director Brian Ness. “More importantly, the project is expected to Improve safety by significantly reducing crashes in the area.”

The President’s Administration, ITD Director Ness, COMPASS, Idaho Senator Crapo’s Office and other members of Idaho’s congressional delegation all helped move the grant application forward.

“We appreciate this additional funding and the benefits it will bring for commerce, commuters and the traveling public. It will relieve congestion through Canyon County and the entire Treasure Valley,” he added.

I-90 detoured through Mullan on June 6

Traffic on Interstate 90 near Lookout Pass will be detoured on June 6 through the town of Mullan to allow crews to repair damage to the interstate, which is currently under construction in that area.

The detour is expected to start at 5 a.m. and last until midday. Although speed will be reduced through town, interstate traffic will have priority at major intersections, which will be controlled by flaggers.

The increase in traffic during construction has led to accelerated wear on one of the lanes. After repairs are finished, traffic will be able to pass through the work zone. For the latest updates, check 511.

Construction is currently underway to replace 1.5 miles of the concrete interstate. Work is expected to conclude in October.

DMV/Drivers Licensing service restored statewide

All DMV Services, Including drivers licensing, will be open at county offices throughout Idaho following yesterday’s software problems. Technicians worked late into the night to fix the issue and tested the solution to ensure it works.

The information of our customers was not at risk during the latest outages. The outage stemmed from software issues experienced by our vendor, Gemalto. The technical issues did not allow county DMV offices to process IDs or licenses, but motor-vehicle transactions such as registrations and titles continued unaffected.

In March, ITD, the Department of Administration, and Gemalto formulated a stabilization plan in response to extensive outages — 25 of them in 2017 and the first few months of 2018. The system has been much more stable since then. ITD still encourages anyone heading to the DMV to first visit the “DMV Status” link on our webpage.

“We appreciate the patience of our customers and our county representatives statewide as we worked diligently to fix the problem,” Alberto Gonzalez, Idaho DMV Administrator, said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to make the system as stable as possible.”

Memorial Day Weekend Marks Beginning of the 100 Deadliest Days

Memorial Day Weekend is here. The unofficial start to summer brings with it barbeques, camping trips and the beginning of the most dangerous time on Idaho’s roads.

“The weather is nice, kids are out of school and there are just more people out on the roads,” said John Tomlinson from the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety.

The period of time between the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend and the end of Labor Day Weekend are often referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days of summer.

According to preliminary crash reports, 244 people died in crashes on Idaho roads in 2017 – 90 of those deaths were during this time period.

“Every time we lose someone on our roads, it impacts all of us,” Tomlinson said. “We will be working with our law enforcement partners to reduce crashes but we need help from everyone to make our roads and communities safer.”

To help keep roads safe this summer, ITD is planning multiple mobilizations to crack down on drunk drivers and to encourage people to buckle up. Tomlinson says it shouldn’t be up to the police alone to keep us safe.

“We can all do a little more,” he said. “We can all be more engaged while we’re out on the roads. Let’s put away the distractions and buckle up. If you choose to drink, plan a safe ride home. It’s up to all of us to get where we’re going safely.”

ID-162 near Lawyer Creek to reopen this evening

Update as of May 25 at 2:50 p.m.

ID-162 is expected to be fully opened to two lanes this evening. The precipitation last night washed away the shoulders but did not affect the integrity of the highway.

Crews will place material around the exposed guardrail to stabilize it and will add material to roadside ditches, which were eroded into steep drop-offs during the storm.

The area near the guardrail will be coned off until next week when repairs will be finished. Crews will continue to monitor the area.

Original Story (May 25 at 10 a.m.)

Crews are mobilizing to assess and fix damage to Idaho Highway 162 near Lawyer Creek (milepost 5.5) after heavy precipitation last night. At this time, the highway remains closed and there is no anticipated timeframe as to when it will reopen. Crews are working to open the road as soon as possible.

Heavy precipitation caused a tributary of Lawyer Creek to overflow and wash over the highway, depositing debris in both lanes and compromising the guardrail on a steep embankment. Although little debris remains on the highway, weight from traveling vehicles could cause the roadway further damage and make it unsafe for continued use.

Heavy rainfall is expected again tonight. ITD will post after-hours updates on 511, as well as their Facebook and Twitter accounts (@IdahoITD).

Even in the summer, severe weather events can wash debris onto roads; motorists are encouraged to be alert after heavy precipitation, especially while driving on routes along steep hills or rocky cliffs.

Community open house to discuss I-84 Business Loop construction in downtown Nampa to be held May 31

The Idaho Transportation Department will host a community open house to discuss the construction plans for the I-84 Business Loop in downtown Nampa on Thursday, May 31.

The open house will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Nampa Civic Center, Casler Room, 311 3rd Street South in Nampa. Community members are invited to stop by any time to learn more about the construction plans and discuss the project. Construction work will include the following streets:

• Garrity Boulevard (11th Avenue North to Grant Street)
• 11th Avenue (3rd Street South to Garrity Boulevard)
• 3rd Street South (Northside Boulevard to 11th Avenue)
• 2nd Street South (Northside Boulevard to 11th Avenue)
• Library Square
• Northside/2nd Street intersection

Download the project fact sheet for more information.

Construction is anticipated to begin in June and be completed in late summer 2018. The project will resurface and reconstruct several roads in downtown Nampa to improve driving conditions and safety.

Business access will remain open at all times during the day. A majority of the work will occur at night between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. with some lane restrictions and detours necessary. Lane restrictions may also be necessary for curb and gutter work during the day.

Pedestrian ramps are also being replaced throughout the project area to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Pedestrian ramp work will occur during the day Monday through Friday and may require brief sidewalk closures.

To receive email updates about this project, text “NAMPA” to 22828 or email Jennifer.Gonzalez@itd.idaho.gov. Construction details also will be posted to itd.idaho.gov/d3.

Emerald Street Connector Overpass opens Saturday

Crews wrap up the repavement of the Emerald St. overpass along I-184

BOISE – Bridge preservation work on the Emerald Street overpass of I-184 (the Connector) between Cole Road and Curtis Road, is complete. The bridge reopens to all traffic beginning Saturday morning (May 19).

Preservation work on additional Treasure Valley bridges will continue this summer at the following locations:

I-84, Meridian Road Interchange
I-84, Broadway Avenue Interchange
I-84, Cole-Overland Interchange
I-84, Gowen Road Interchange
Broadway Avenue, Boise River Bridge

Unlike at Emerald, remaining work will not require full closures and most work will be completed at night. Motorists can expect lane reductions and reduced speeds.

“Bridge preservation work is intended to strengthen the bridge surfaces and extend the life of the pavement, reducing the need for additional maintenance at a later date,” said Crystal Grasmick, ITD Project Manager. “We appreciate the traveling public’s patience as we work through these important improvements.”

Cannon Builders, Inc. is the contractor on this $2.7 million project. For up-to-date traffic impact information, visit 511.idaho.gov.

ITD employee reflects on the eruption of Mount St. Helens

Thirty-eight years ago (May 18, 1980), Mount St. Helens erupted, spewing smoke and ash that traveled more than 300 miles before landing in the Lewiston area.

Rex Williams, who was stationed in Potlatch at the time, joined his fellow maintenance workers in an effort to clear the 1.5 inches of ash that fell on US-95, though they were not sure how to clear the roadway.

“The first day, we tried using a rubber blade to avoid creating sparks while plowing, but that didn’t work,” Williams said. “The ash got into the engine and caused it to fail within five miles. We were also kicking up a lot of dust.”

For the same reason, brooming was not an effective solution at first as it simply created a plume of grey that reduced visibility for drivers.

“Then we figured out that if we sprayed the ash with water and broomed it to the fog line, we could use spray it again and use a grader to blade it off the roadway,” Williams said. “We rented every water truck we could find from all over the Pacific Northwest.”

In the following days, workers donned masks to protect them from the abrasive ash, changed air filters in the trucks to prevent engine failure and picked up many motorists stranded along the highway after ash clogged their engines.

It would take weeks to clear ash from the highways in the Moscow-Pullman area, which Williams recalls as the region that saw the most ash in the state.

“We didn’t have handheld radios at the time, which meant our work zones had to be short so that everyone was in view of the flaggers,” Williams said. “You were lucky if you made it five miles a day.”

Historic photos around the time of the eruption will be added to ITD’s photo collection shortly. In the meantime, share your historic photos with #MountStHelens and #ITD.

Nighttime lane restrictions begin soon for Broadway, Front and Myrtle (US-20) repaving

Nighttime lane restrictions will begin in tonight, Wednesday May 16 on Front Street, Myrtle Street and Broadway Avenue in Boise as the Idaho Transportation Department prepares to repave all three roadways.

The project will include milling off the worn asphalt and replacing it with new pavement. Construction is anticipated to begin on Myrtle Street, then move to Front Street, and on to Broadway Avenue in late June or July.

The repaving work is expected to be completed in late summer.

Work includes:
• Myrtle Street between I-184 (Connector) and Broadway Avenue
• Front Street between I-184 (Connector) and Broadway Avenue
• Broadway Avenue between Rossi Street and the New York Canal north of I-84

The majority of construction will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. All lanes will be open during the day. Occasional work will be scheduled on Friday and Saturday 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

During nighttime paving operations, two lanes will be open on Front and Myrtle Streets. One lane will be open in each direction on Broadway Avenue.

“To get construction updates, sign up for emails or text messages from the ITD Office of Communication,” said ITD Southwest Idaho Resident Engineer Jayme Coonce. “Dates and plans can change quickly due to unpredictable weather and other factors. ITD will send regular updates to keep motorists, residents and businesses informed.”

To request email updates, text US2026 to 22828. Updates also will be posted to itd.idaho.gov/D3.

ITD estimates 30,000 vehicles travel on Myrtle, Front and Broadway each day. The U.S. 20 resurfacing project is expected to extend the pavement lifespan approximately 10-12 years.

Sunroc Corporation, of Boise, is the contractor for $3.14 million project.