The Main Street Exit for Rexburg on U.S. Highway 20 will fully close beginning next Monday. The closure at Exit 333 will allow the Idaho Transportation Department to efficiently construct a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) like the one now operating at University Boulevard (Exit 332). The closure is expected to last through the month of August.
All ramps at Exit 333, as well as Main Street between the ramps, will be closed to traffic and detoured to nearby interchanges. Through traffic on US-20 will be unaffected during construction.
Detours include Thornton (Exit 328), University Boulevard (Exit 332), and North Rexburg (Exit 337). A new permanent traffic signal will be in place and operating to aid the flow of traffic at the North Rexburg Exit prior to this closure. One-lane closures are in effect at the University Boulevard Exit while construction efforts continue there.
“We thank everyone for their patience and understanding in dealing with road construction in Rexburg this summer,” Project Manager Conner Huffaker said. “We really are trying to keep traffic flowing and minimize the impact on people as much as possible. There’s a lot to get done in a short amount of time and all of it will make travel in Rexburg better once it is.”
Businesses near the Main Street Exit remain open, with alternate access available and signed. Construction crews will also coordinate with emergency responders to ensure access through the closed work zone when needed.
The city of Rexburg and ITD completed a cooperative agreement during the planning phase of this project to have the contractor complete city requested work items, including a sewer repair during road construction. Crews will insert a manhole and repair a damaged sewer pipe so that additional closure for this needed infrastructure work won’t have to occur in the future.
Construction of all Rexburg US-20 interchanges is expected to be fully complete in late October. More details about this project can be found at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.
Beginning tomorrow evening the north-to-west ramp of the System Interchange at Pocatello will be periodically closed to allow for girder placement for a new bridge.
Girders are horizontal steel beams designed to support the bridge deck. As the beams are placed over the northbound to westbound ramp it is necessary to close the roadway beneath for the safety of the travelling public.
Closures are scheduled for:
Wednesday from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
Friday from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Monday July 22 from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Wednesday July 24 from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Thursday July 25 from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Traffic traveling north on I-15 wishing to proceed west on I-86 toward Chubbuck will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night at the System Interchange it is especially important that drivers be alert and proceed safely through the work area.
While this work continues, weather is a major factor for the timing of closures. Motorists are encouraged to keep up-to-date via 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available here on ITD’s projects website.
The Idaho Transportation Department will host community open houses next week to gather early input about a project to build a new bridge over the North Fork of the Payette River in Valley County. Nearly a century after its construction, the current Rainbow Bridge no longer meets current standards for highway bridges.
Open houses will be located both north and south of the bridge. Community members may stop by at their convenience to learn about the project and provide input.
Tuesday, July 23: 4-7 p.m. at the Evergreen Hotel (210 N. 3rd St., McCall)
Thursday, July 25: 4-7 p.m. at the Horseshoe Bend School (398 School Rd., Horseshoe Bend)
“ITD recognizes the Rainbow Bridge’s significance to Idaho residents and travelers,” said ITD District 3 Engineer Jason Brinkman. “Feedback from the community will be essential as we design the new bridge and make decisions about the existing bridge.”
Additional public meetings will be held as the design process continues. In addition, a Bridge Involvement Group will meet on July 17 from 4-6 p.m. at the American Legion Post (105 W. Mill St.) in Cascade. The Bridge Involvement Group is open to community members who are willing to invest a higher level of time and engagement during the design process.
The existing Rainbow Bridge was completed in 1933. Environmental and design work for a new bridge began this spring. Construction is currently proposed for 2028 or 2029.
Repairs on State Highway 64 will commence today, following major spring flooding that has closed the road west of Kamiah since April 14.
During the construction, motorists can expect SH-64 between milepost 24 and milepost 30 to remain fully closed. Travelers are encouraged to use State Highway 162 between Nez Perce and Kamiah as an alternative.
Construction includes the installation of retaining walls, rebuilding the road base, and paving. The work zone contains several slide locations that are slated for repairs.
Trucks hauling equipment and materials will need to access the project site from both Nez Perce and Kamiah. Motorists should be aware of this significant increase in traffic during construction.
The Idaho Transportation Department and consultant partners accelerated design efforts so that construction work could be completed by this November.
The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles is excited to announce that CJ Kendrick has been promoted to the position of Idaho Transportation Department Division of Motor Vehicles Deputy Administrator. Kendrick has been an invaluable member of the ITD DMV team for over eleven years, filling several critical roles within the DMV. Most recently, he served as the Vehicle Services Manager for the past two years.
Kendrick has been a champion of innovation, particularly with the “Skip the Trip” initiative for DMV customers. His dedication to serving Idahoans and providing convenient alternatives is unwavering.
“Serving Idahoans and providing Skip the Trip alternatives is my main focus. Citizens of Idaho deserve the ability to be able to choose how they interact with the department and a DMV that looks for ways to say ‘Yes’. I am humbled to be selected for this opportunity and look forward to the new challenges facing the DMV as we expand the ways we interact with our customers,” said Kendrick.
In addition to his extensive experience with the DMV, Kendrick is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan as a flight medic. His eleven years with DMV have involved many diverse roles, from ports of entry, dealer operations, motor vehicle investigation, title unit supervision, and vehicle services management. This breadth and depth of experience have thoroughly prepared him for this new leadership position as the DMV Deputy Administrator.
“Please join me in congratulating CJ Kendrick on his well-deserved promotion,” said DMV Administrator Lisa McClellan.
Debra Gilmore lost an extended fight with cancer on July 1, but even in her final months, she didn’t let the disease keep her from accomplishing a goal she’d had with her “Friends of Riverdale” group since co-founding it in July 2004. During the April meeting of the Idaho Transportation Board, she was on-hand as the group was named District 5 (Southeast Idaho) Adopt-A-Highway Group of the Year.
During those 20 years, the group has picked up approximately 42,000 pounds of litter from their two-mile stretch of State Highway 34 near the landfill. Routes near landfills are challenging because parts of uncovered loads headed to the landfill blow out of trailers and pickup beds, leaving much more than the average amount of roadside trash. Gilmore also paid particular attention to broken glass that could be harmful to wildlife, and items that could start a roadside fire. She even turned in several driver’s licenses to local law enforcement.
The Friends of Riverdale AAH group was created when Debra Gilmore’s father mentioned to his local coffee group that his daughter was taking long daily walks along the highway and collecting bottles and cans as she walked. A friend who worked at ITD suggested she officially adopt the highway so she could access trash bags and protections such as safety vests and roadside traffic signs.
Debra, along with a friend, came up with the name “Friends of Riverdale” in reference to the two founding members’ friendship. Others from the town of Riverdale occasionally assisted in keeping the local highway clean.
Debra is survived by her loving husband (Stephen), two daughters (Rosalind and Corinne) and four grandchildren (Austin, Cameron, Jack, and Isabella).
Stephen said he plans to keep the Friends of Riverdale group active, as that would have made her very happy. He said the Adopt-A-Highway group was very important to her, and that cleaning up litter was a long-term passion of hers. “Even before she ‘adopted’ the highway, she’d always take a garbage bag with her to pick up trash on her walks. It’s just who she was.”
The Idaho Transportation Department will begin the first of two ramp closures on Monday along Interstate 84. These closures are necessary in order to safely pave the ramps.
To minimize traffic impacts, ITD will conduct nighttime paving on both ramps. Each closure will begin at 8 p.m. and will reopen to traffic the following day by 5:30 a.m. Traffic control will be in place prior to any closures. The scheduled ramp closures, which are weather dependent, are as follows:
July 15: I-84 Eagle Road eastbound off-ramp
July 16: I-84 Eagle Road westbound off-ramp
July 17: I-84 Eagle Road westbound off-ramp
“While a standard pothole patch might last a few months to a year, the repairs we achieve with these overnight closures will last multiple years. This not only minimizes the need for constant maintenance but also significantly reduces the disruption for drivers,” Field Operations Manager Eric Copeland said.
Drivers are encouraged to use the Idaho 511 system by phone, online, or through the app for updated closure information.
Construction by the Union Pacific Railroad is underway to extend a siding track line near Parma that will result in the closure of the railroad crossing on Deb Lane and loss of direct access to U.S. Highway 20/26. Work began on Tuesday, and the permanent closure of the railroad crossing will occur on July 26.
To access US-20/26 after the crossing is removed, drivers should instead cross the railroad line and access the highway via the U.S. Highway 95 Interchange to the west. Crews will build a cul-de-sac at the end of Deb Lane so vehicles can turn around.
Changes were collectively agreed upon between the Union Pacific Railroad, the Idaho Transportation Department and the Notus-Parma Highway District #2. Increased rail activity is expected with the extension of the track line. Given increased train activity and the proximity of other crossings, stakeholders agreed it was appropriate to permanently close the Deb Lane crossing.
On Monday the Idaho Transportation Department will begin work to repave the northbound lanes of Interstate 15 from the West Blackfoot Interchange Exit 93 to Riverside Canal near the Rose Road Interchange Exit 98. This project will improve safety and the drivers’ experience with a smooth new surface.
During construction traffic will be shifted to the southbound lanes through a crossover. Drivers should expect reduced speeds through the construction zone. The project is expected to take 50 days to complete.
Throughout the course of the project, crews will be milling down the base layer of the highway to fully reconstruct the road base and driving surface. Work includes pulverizing the existing asphalt, excavating and placing new material as a base, and then paving over the top of the new base.
Travelers are encouraged to use the Idaho 511 system for updated traffic impacts through the construction season.
The Idaho Division of Aeronautics held their annual ACE (Aviation Career Education) Academy June 26-28, presenting aviation career options to 32 Idaho high schoolers from around the state.
Planes sit in front of the hangar
“After months of planning and coordinating, the ACE Academy was a great success!” said coordinator Shelly Towner. “The teamwork was one of the best I have experienced – it all worked like a well-oiled machine.”
Participants were able to visit the Boise Air Traffic Control Tower, utilize Mission Aviation Fellowship’s flight simulator, and tour the Boise Airport where the biggest draw was seeing the bomb-detecting dog in action. Students toured the TSA baggage area, and viewed the ongoing expansion project from the top of the parking garage.
Students also visited the Idaho National Guard to learn about aviation career fields in Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing aircraft. They visited Skywest to explore airline careers, and Western Aircraft to explore turbo-prop and business jet aviation. The National Weather Service covered aviation weather services, and at the National Interagency Fire Center the kids saw how smokejumpers, drones and aircraft are used to fight fires. The Idaho 99s taught a mini-ground school, T-Craft Aero Club discussed opportunities to train in a flying club, and our 12 volunteer pilots took the kids flying.
Many participants were enthusiastic in their review of the 2024 ACE Academy:
“This camp was so awesome! I loved every minute of it and I really wish I could do it again next year. I want to be a pilot and I learned so much. Thank you!” – Mason
“I am grateful I was selected for this unique, exciting, and fun opportunity. – Nick
“Thank you so much for the opportunity!” – Anon
“Thank you so much for putting ACE together! I had a great time and learned a lot.” – Anon
“All of the instructors were so good, and they really made us feel like it was something amazing to be a part of and the way they were so passionate about it really inspired me!” – Anon
