Transportation department to host public meeting June 21 on U.S. 95 improvements

COEUR D’ALENE – A public meeting will be held Wednesday (June 21) to share information on planned improvements to a section of U.S. 95.

The meeting is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Idaho Transportation Department’s district office at 600 W. Prairie Avenue, Coeur d’Alene. Project staff will be available to answer questions, and displays will illustrate information. Those interested in attending can stop by any time within those three hours.

The transportation department, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization, city of Coeur d’Alene and city of Hayden received a FASTLANE grant to make improvements along 8.9 miles of U.S. 95. The improvements will be from Interstate 90 to the U.S. 95 intersection with Idaho 53. FASTLANE grants are given to regionally and nationally significant highway projects that improve safety, reduce congestion and contribute to economic opportunity, among other improvements.

Improvements include correcting traffic signal spacing to remove two traffic signals and add two traffic signals, adding adaptive signal timing, modifying vehicle-median crossings at non-signalized locations to reduce the number of crossing conflict points and adding left turn lanes and right turn lanes at certain locations to improve mobility on side streets.

Comments are being accepted on the improvements, and can be e-mailed to CarrieAnn Hewitt at carrieann.hewitt@itd.idaho.gov, or mailed to Hewitt at Idaho Transportation Department, 600 W. Prairie Avenue, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.

For additional information, please visit: https://itd.idaho.gov/d1/?target=planning, and click on “US-95 N Corridor Access Improvement.”

Those with questions about the public meeting or U.S. 95 improvements can call CarrieAnn at (208) 772-1230.

Seal coat work starts Tuesday (June 13) on section of U.S. 95

LEWISTON – Seal coating will be done on sections of U.S. 95 starting Tuesday (June 13) from the Little Salmon River Bridge to the south city limits of Riggins, as crews lay a top protective layer to extend the life of the underlying pavement. The work is expected to take several weeks, depending on weather.

Below is a list of the routes and locations that will be seal coated. During work, motorist should expect minor delays, and flaggers or pilot cars may be used to guide traffic.

Location
U.S. 95, Little Salmon River Bridge to Riggins South City Limits (milepost 185.4-194.6)
U.S. 95, Riggins North City Limits to Goff Bridge (milepost 196.2-197.3)
U.S. 95, Skookumchuck to White Bird Bridge (milepost 219.1-223.7)
U.S. 95, Bottom of White Bird Hill to Johnston Rd. (milepost 234-242)
U.S. 95, Westlake Road to N. Winchester Approach (milepost 273.7-279.7)
U.S. 95B, Craigmont Business Loop (milepost 271.8-273.5)
SH 14, Jct. Hwy 13 & 14 to S. Fork Clearwater Road Bridge (milepost 0-8.7)

Knife River Construction is the contractor on this $1.22 million work.

Culvert replacement on Idaho 62 in Nezperce starts Monday (June 12)

LEWISTON – A culvert-replacement project is slated to begin Monday (June 12) on Idaho 62 in Nezperce and wrap up by the end of the month. This is necessary to replace an aging, large arc pipe that Holes Creek flows through.

The existing arc pipe at milepost 10.5, built in 1953, will be replaced with a bottomless arc pipe.

During replacement of the culvert, the highway will be closed and drivers will detour around the area using Powerline Road. Powerline Road connects with Idaho 62 at milepost 14 and milepost 3.

Crews will work a Monday-through-Friday schedule, with a day shift starting at 7 a.m. and a night shift starting at 5 p.m. Weekend work may be necessary to ensure the project is completed on schedule.

Crea Construction Inc., of Lewiston, is the contractor on this $376,000 project.

ITD working with driver’s license provider to address DMV outages

BOISE – In recent months, county DMV locations have experienced an increased number of outages to driver’s license services. This has created prolonged delays for Idahoans.

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is devoting all available technology services towards investigating the root of this problem. The department is working hand in hand with its driver’s license provider, Gemalto, in this effort.

Gemalto has sent a team of specialists to Boise to join ITD’s team to investigate and fix this issue. Through this collaboration, ITD hopes to find a solution quickly.

ITD is placing as many resources on this as possible because the delays at the county DMVs are not up to the department’s standard. One pillar of ITD’s mission is “Your Economic Opportunity” and delaying the regular business of the traveling public does not fulfill that goal.

The department thanks the public and our county partners for showing patience while this issue is resolved.

Memorial Day Weekend Marks Beginning of 100 Deadliest Days

BOISE – The Memorial Day weekend is almost here marking the unofficial start of summer. The holiday weekend brings along with it backyard cookouts and camping trips – it also marks the beginning of the deadliest time on Idaho’s roads.

The time between the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends are often referred to as the “100 Deadliest Days.” It is a time of year when deadly crashes tend to spike.

“The weather is nicer and the days are longer and more people are out on the roads,” said Josephine Middleton from the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety.

In 2016 there were 252 people killed on Idaho’s roads – 85 of those crashes happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.

“It seems that sometimes people let their guard down because of the nicer driving conditions and they aren’t as cautious as they could be,” Middleton added. “We receive reports of impaired, aggressive and distracted driving crashes every summer – these crashes can don’t have to happen.”

ITD and its highway safety partners have several mobilizations planned for the summer months. These efforts are designed to enforce traffic safety laws and educate the public. During the summer these mobilizations will focus on seatbelt usage and impaired driving.

“Our partnerships with law enforcement are so important to us,” Middleton said, “but so is our partnership with each and every Idahoan who gets inside a car. We can all do little things to make our roads safer – be patient, get a designated driver, put away the distractions and buckle up and we can all get to our destinations safely this summer.”

In addition to an increase in cars on the roads, motorists also need to keep their eye out for other road users as motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians take advantage of the summer weather to get out of their cars.

ITD gearing up for eclipse chasers

Preparations at ITD Headquarters and in the districts are well underway for the 2017 total solar eclipse.

Officials throughout the department are planning for the event, coordinating with state and local governments and other community leaders on preparations.

ITD wants to make viewing of the solar eclipse in Idaho a safe and enjoyable experience for residents and visitors alike by keeping highways open and traffic flowing.

In case you haven’t heard, the eclipse is a big deal. The moon will fully obscure the sun for more than two minutes, completely shadowing a narrow band of the lower 48 for the first time since 1979.

Southern Idaho lies in the center of that band, which is referred to as the “Path of Totality.” The moon’s umbra shadow will pass over the countryside through this band.

ITD is developing an incident-response plan, identifying locations that may become bottlenecks, and developing traffic-control plans. Officials tentatively anticipate they may suspend highway construction Friday through Wednesday.

Make your plans – and support ITD in making its preparations. The agency aims to provide the level of service expected of the best transportation department in the country.

To catch the excitement of this major celestial event, see the projected path of the shadow as it passes over Idaho https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4515.

The state’s typically sunny August weather means there is a good chance there will be few, if any, clouds in the sky when the eclipse occurs.

The point isn’t lost on eclipse chasers, who have booked up motels, campgrounds and even homes in the region to view the “totality.”

They also like the fact that Idaho is situated at a high altitude, closer to the sky than many parts of the country. Estimates are for tens and even hundreds of thousands of people to descend on Idaho — some projections put the migration at more than one million.

The event begins in the late morning of August. 21 in Weiser and ends in the early afternoon in Driggs. Other towns in the center of the path are Mackay, Mud Lake, Rigby, Rexburg and Victor. Area residents should buckle up.

If you unavailable, uninterested or have other plans August 21 and intend to catch the next total solar eclipse in Idaho, prepare to wait for 152 years.

Major construction planned in Coeur d’Alene area this summer

Major construction will impact north Idaho traffic in and around the Coeur d’Alene area this summer. Interstate 90, U.S. 95, and other area roads will be impacted. The Idaho Transportation Department is partnering with the city to reach out to the driving public with critical information on these upcoming impacts.

There may be five or six projects within a five-mile radius of town. The projects will repair and replace deficient pavements and upgrade routes and signs.

You can see a map of the projects here.

The pavement being replaced is deficient, and some of the work can be directly linked to this year’s rough winter. These projects will result in more efficient traffic flow, better visibility and improved safety.

Drivers are encouraged to slow down, pay attention and be aware. There will be lane closures, lane shifts, reduced speeds, and delays. Motorists may need to plan alternate routes if possible. One of the best things a driver can do is check the traveler information system at 511.idaho.gov frequently.

I-84 resurfacing between Nampa and Caldwell begins

BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Department will begin initial construction activities next week on a summer project to resurface deteriorated pavement on Interstate 84 between Nampa and Caldwell.

ITD will share details about construction activities and sequencing at a community open house Thursday, May 25 at the Hampton Inn at 5770 Franklin Road in Nampa. Community members are invited to come at their convenience from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

ITD is using weekend and nighttime traffic control to minimize traffic impacts during the weekday commute.

During four weekends this summer, ITD will shift all I-84 traffic to one side of the interstate (eastbound or westbound) while crews work on the other side. On these four weekends, one lane of traffic will be open in both directions between Nampa and Caldwell from 7 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. All lanes of I-84 will be open during the weekday.

Check out the project website here.

Final weekend dates will be scheduled based on factors such as traffic counts, weather predictions, equipment and materials availability, and the project schedule.

Community members may request email notification of the weekend dates by texting INTERSTATE84 to 22828. ITD will announce exact dates as soon as they are scheduled.

Other traffic impacts for the project will include occasional nighttime lane restrictions, shoulder closures and speed-limit reductions. The project includes resurfacing I-84, the Northside Boulevard interchange ramps and two ramps at the Franklin Boulevard Interchange. Guardrails will be improved throughout the project area.

Idaho Materials Construction is the contractor for this $9.5 million project.

“Look Twice for Motorcycles” during May’s Motorcycle Awareness Month

BOISE – Warming temperatures have people across the state looking for ways to get out and enjoy the spring weather. For many Idahoans, that enjoyment comes by riding a motorcycle on one of our many scenic highways.

“Idaho is a great place for motorcycle riding,” said Lane Triplett from the Idaho Coalition for Motorcycle Safety. “Our roads have beautiful scenic views that require varying degrees of technical riding ability, which is why riders from around the globe come to our state.”

Idaho’s beautiful highways have been a dangerous place for some motorcyclists — 140 people were killed in motorcycle crashes between 2011 and 2016, with 42 percent of those crashes involving other vehicles.

“Drivers and riders alike need to share the responsibility of keeping our roads safe,” said Triplett. “We realize it’s our job to ride safely and sanely but we want you to take that extra second and think about motorcyclists while we’re out on the highway.”

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and its partners in motorcycle safety remind drivers to “Look Twice for Motorcycles” to help prevent motorcycle rider deaths and injuries during May’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

“As drivers, we need to do our part and look out for motorcyclists because they are smaller and hard to see,” said Josephine Middleton, of ITD’s Office of Highway Safety.

“As motorcyclists, we need to wear protective gear and always be prepared for the worst, because in most crashes between motorcycles and other vehicles, the drivers of the other vehicle did not see the motorcycle until it was too late,” Middleton explained.

She offered tips to drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle:

• Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has the same rights as any other motorist. Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
• Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
• If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, be careful: motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten. Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.
• Check mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
• Always allow more following distance – three to four seconds – when behind a motorcycle. This gives them more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
• Never drive or ride distracted or impaired.

Completion of the Idaho STAR Motorcycle Rider Training Program may mean up to an 89-percent reduction in the risk of a fatal crash, according to analysis of crash data.

“Can you reduce your chance of crashing on a motorcycle? Yes, you can, by taking motorcycle-rider training,” said Sunshine Beer, director of the Idaho STAR Program.

Motorcyclists can increase their safety by following these steps:

• Wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear.
• Obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed.
• Use hand and turn signals at every lane change or turn.
• Wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility.
• Ride in the part of the lane where you will be the most visible to drivers.
• Never ride distracted or impaired.

To learn more about the Idaho STAR motorcycle-rider training program, go to http://idahostar.org/

Flooding sends debris crashing into bridges

ITD crews in the Treasure Valley are on high alert around the clock as prolonged flooding sends debris down river, creating blockages on bridges.

Entire trees have been uprooted by Boise River flows that well exceed the average. Currently, the river is at 8800 cfs at the Glenwood St. measuring station. This brings the water level close to the bottom of the bridge. You can watch a video of crews clearing debris from the ID-52 bridge in Emmett below.

Increased debris and higher water levels create more hazards to bridges. Branches can catch on the supports or bridge girders, which can lead to a domino affect of accumulating debris. This debris can raise the river levels more and adds pressure to the bridge supports. Left unchecked, this could lead to catastrophic failure.

To combat this threat, ITD has crews monitoring the bridges. They routinely check for debris build up and signs of stress on the bridge. Several excavators are also parked by bridges, which can be used quickly to break up any build up.

By patrolling regularly and stationing equipment nearby for ready use, ITD is positioned to keep this year’s record flooding from causing disaster to our road system.