Idaho Truck Driving Championships May 3-4 in Meridian

Idaho truck driving championship logo.

Do you have what it takes to be a truck driving champion? The Idaho Trucking Association (ITA) is hosting The Idaho Truck Driving Championships (TDC) on May 3 and 4 at the Idaho State Police Training Facility (POST), 700 S. Stratford, Meridian, ID 83642.

Drivers compete for the top positions in Idaho and for the right to compete at the National Truck Driving Championship that will be held in Indianapolis in August.

The TDC is a family-friendly event. The ITA encourages drivers’ families to attend and watch the competition from designated viewing areas.

For registration and full contest information, visit the ITA website.

ITD resumes repaving US-95 in Owyhee County

The Idaho Transportation Department is resuming work to repave US-95 in late April 2024. Crews will repave the highway between the Port of Entry and the US-95, SH-55 Junction west Marsing.

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will resume repaving on U.S. Highway 95 between the Port of Entry and its junction with State Highway 55 west of Marsing. Work will improve and extend the life of the roadway. Construction will begin Monday and is expected to finish this summer.

During construction motorists can expect:

  • One lane open at all times.
  • Daytime and nighttime work.
  • A temporary signal or a pilot car guiding traffic through the construction zone.
  • Wait times of around 15 minutes.
  • Speed limit reductions to 55 mph.
  • Width restrictions in place.

ITD began construction on US-95 in July 2023 and completed repaving from the Oregon state line to the Port of Entry. As a part of the project, ITD also:

  • Installed new curbing and guardrails.
  • Updated signage and road striping.

Those who are interested in learning more about the project are invited to sign up for email updates by visiting itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/95repaving.

US-95 repaving project will begin April 22 2024
This is a map to show the US-95 repaving project that will resume on April 22 2024

US-95 lane closure near Reisenauer Hill south of Moscow

Picture of the highway and construction area near Reisenauer Hill.

Motorists are asked to slow down in the work zone for a closed lane near Reisenauer Hill on U.S. Highway 95 south of Moscow as part of ongoing realignment and expansion.

Travelers can expect the southbound right lane to be closed through mid-May with speeds reduced to 35 mph in the two-mile work zone. Intermittent flagging operations, additional lane closures, and other changing conditions will impact traffic.

In early May Eid Road will be closed and restricted to local traffic only for approximately 10 weeks. Construction off this road is the site for two bridges on the realignment.

Once temporary lanes are built around the work area in mid-May, drivers will be able to travel at 45 mph. One lane will be open in each direction.

Expanding the highway to four lanes on a new alignment will not only add capacity and reduce travel times but also significantly improve safety. To learn more about the project please visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us95thorncreektomoscow.

Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app onto mobile devices.

Ten Idaho high schoolers awarded scholarships to attend National Flight Academy

Ten Idaho high school students recently were awarded scholarships to attend the National Flight Academy, an all-inclusive week-long immersive flight training camp hosted at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida from June 9-14, 2024.

Please join us in congratulating the following students as they embark on this groundbreaking adventure:

Anna H. Li, 11th grade
Carson J. Miller, 9th grade
Chelsea Ford, 10th grade
Copper Feldtman, 10th grade
Hannah Swenson, 11th grade
James Van der Veen, 9th grade
Kavya Bansal, 11th grade
Marlowe Bradely, 11th grade
Missoni Murphy, 10th grade
Santiago Casas, 11th grade

Now in its second year, the scholarship program drew fierce competition, with nearly 200 of Idaho’s best and brightest high school students applying. The grant-funded program hosted by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to designed to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“We would like to thank all of our applicants, and a give a special thanks to all of the teachers that encouraged their students to apply,” said Jessika Doglietto, ITD’s Workforce Development Manager. “ITD hopes to continue offering innovative STEM programs, encouraging Idaho students to enter into the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.”

The selected ten students will live for six days inside a 102,000 square foot, multi-story facility, surrounded by advanced technology, flight simulators, and virtual-reality games that ignite imagination and encourage learning.

Planned traffic impacts for US-95 near McArthur Lake starting next week

Bridge abutments and the pier, which serve as foundations for the bridge itself, are nearing completion on US Highway 95 near McArthur Lake. Once these are finished the next step in construction of the two-span bridge will be placement of the steel girders, which are support beams that span between the abutments and the center pier and support the concrete driving surface above.

A total of 8 steel girders will be placed, 4 at each span. The girders measure approximately 150 feet long, weigh approximately 69,000 pounds each, and will require the use of a large crane to lift and set them into place.

TRAFFIC IMPACT ALERT

Starting on Monday April 22, crews will begin the process of placing these beams which will require intermittent lane reductions and closures on US Highway 95 allowing a safe space for workers and drivers alike.

The crane will be positioned near the inside lane of the shoofly where girders will be delivered, and then utilize the boom to pick the beams from the trucks and swing them into place. During the time that steel girders are being picked and guided through the air, traffic will be temporarily blocked in both directions.

To help prepare local commuters for upcoming traffic impacts, electronic signs near the work zone will be updated to provide specific date and time information for these closures.

The most significant delays are anticipated on April 24, and April 29 while girders are actively being picked and placed.

Drivers should pay attention to local signage and use the Idaho 511 system for updates.

Work is scheduled to only occur during daytime hours and weekend closures are not anticipated at this time. This work is expected to last for approximately two weeks.

Construction to repave US-95 near Whitebird begins

Picture of US-95 near Whitebird bridge.

Motorists can expect construction on U.S. Highway 95 this Monday as crews start resurfacing 13 miles between milepost 210 and Whitebird.

Work will restore the roadway and provide a smoother traveling surface to improve mobility through this vital corridor. Sections of guardrail will also be updated to current standards for enhanced safety.

Over the next few months, travelers can expect the following traffic shifts on US-95:

  • Mid-April through mid-May: One-lane closed during the day.
  • Mid-May through mid-July: One-lane closed during the day and night.
  • Mid-July through mid-October: One-lane closed during the day.

Drivers should reduce speed and be on the lookout for flaggers and/or pilot cars in operation. Wait times are estimated to be around 15 minutes but should not exceed 30 minutes.

The cost for the project is $17.3 million.

Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.

SH-64 closed near Kamiah due to rockfall, flooding

Picture of a rockslide and flooding on the highway.

Two highways west of Kamiah were closed until further notice due to rockfall and flooding. State Highway 64 is closed from milepost 24 to milepost 30, and State Highway 162 is closed from milepost 14 to milepost 22.

SH-64 and SH-162 closed last night. Besides the significant debris, the road has received structural damage from the washout.

“Crews have been working hard since late last night to clear dozens of debris flows,” Operations Engineer Jared Hopkins said. “Please watch for our operators staffing the barricades and be prepared to turn around or find an alternate route.”

Travelers between Nez Perce and Kamiah are advised to use U.S. Highway 12 and U.S. Highway 95.

Updates on these closures will be posted to 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.

Bridge repair project across North Central Idaho begins Monday

Bridge repair project across North Central Idaho begins Monday.

Approximately 10 bridges across North Central Idaho are slated for repair and preservation work this spring, with work first beginning Monday at the bridge on State Highway 6 over the Palouse River near Harvard.

Delays for all of the bridge work this spring will be minimal, but drivers should use caution when crews are working on the bridge decks.

Surface treatments will extend the life and improve the riding surfaces of the bridge decks. Concrete waterproofing treatments will also be applied to various components of the bridges for enhanced preservation.

The bridges are in Latah, Nez Perce, Clearwater, and Idaho counties respectively:

  • State Highway 14 over the South Fork of the Clearwater River
  • State Highway 11 over Jim Ford Creek
  • SH-11 over Orofino Creek
  • SH-11 over Quartz Creek
  • SH-6 over the Palouse River
  • State Highway 8 over Paradise Creek
  • U.S. Highway 95 over Palouse River
  • US-95 over the South Fork of the Palouse River
  • US-95 over Cow Creek
  • US-95 over Paradise Creek

Construction will conclude by the end of June. Live traffic impacts across the region can be found by visiting 511.idaho.gov. Travelers can also dial 5-1-1 or download the app.

Get your CDL medical certificate through a registered provider

A truck climbs a hill

Is your Commercial Driver Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876) coming from an FMCSA-registered medical examiner? As of February, medical examiners are required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Using a medical provider who is not on FMCSA’s national registry could lead to a downgrade of your commercial driver’s license (CDL) if it is not fixed within 45 days.

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has received a few Medical Examiner’s Certificates from providers that have been removed from the registry. Those drivers who didn’t use a registered provider will need to book new appointments with someone on the registry and submit a new Form MCSA-5876 to ITD.

Save yourself time and hassle by looking up registered providers on FMCSA’s website before booking an appointment: https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/home

SH-16 closure planned for Saturday in Emmett

The Idaho Transportation Department will close State Highway 16 between Johns Avenue and Cherry Lane in Emmett this Saturday.

The SH-16 overnight closure will begin at 7 p.m. April 13 and reopen to traffic the following day. The closure is necessary in order to replace an irrigation pipe beneath the highway. Traffic control will be in place with a detour routing traffic onto Johns Avenue and Cherry Lane.

Drivers can utilize the Idaho 511 system by phone, online, or through the app for updated closure information.

Full overnight closure on SH-16 From Johns Avenue to Cherry Lane April 13