The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is hosting two open houses next week to present and gather feedback on alternative alignments for State Highway 44 from Interstate 84 to Star Road. ITD will collect feedback from the public both at the in-person open house and via an online survey.
Details for the open houses are below:
Wednesday, April 3, at Star Fire Protection District at11665 W State Street, Ste. B in Star – 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. (drop in anytime)
Thursday, April 4, at Middleton Middle School at 511 W Main Street in Middleton – 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. (drop in anytime)
The same information will be available at both in-person open houses. A virtual open house with identical information will also be available from April 3 through April 17 at: https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/sh44pel.
“We encourage everyone to join us at an upcoming open house to share their feedback. Your input is crucial as we make informed decisions to advance this project, meeting both the present needs and future travel demands in this growing area,” Project Manager Mark Wasdahl said.
In this initial study phase, ITD is implementing the Federal Highway Administration’s Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) process to identify and screen transportation improvements. Once improvements have been chosen, the project will transition into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) phase.
Tires wearing out early on commercial vehicles can be dangerous for the driver and other vehicles on the road. Conventional wisdom is to inflate a truck’s inside and outside tires to the same pressure. However, when the tires have equal pressure, it puts more weight on the inside tire leading to uneven wear and issues with braking, fuel mileage, and handling.
The Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) Port of Entry (POE) team has six new split platform portable scales that will be used to demonstrate the weight difference between the inside and outside dual tires. They’ll demonstrate this issue to industry members in ITD’s six districts and to ITD’s teams. This can save companies and the state money on tire replacements, fuel, brakes, and suspension parts. The POE will start reaching out to industry partners in April.
Check out this video for a demonstration of the split scales and the effect of tire pressure on weight distribution.
Construction is underway on Interstate 90 for the second year between Osburn and Wallace to resurface the freeway with asphalt to replace existing concrete. Crews have closed the inside lanes for both eastbound and westbound traffic so they can work in the median.
Lane closures will be in place through the end of next week as crews prepare to shift all traffic to run on the eastbound lanes on April 1. One lane will remain open in each direction. Throughout the construction season travelers should also expect intermittent on- and off-ramp closures at Silverton and on the west side of Wallace. Advance notification of these closures will be given through signs posted near the work zone.
Later this summer, crews will transition to repave from Big Creek to Osburn and a short section of the interstate east of Wallace.
Work last year focused on the eastbound lanes, and construction this year will focus on the westbound lanes. This project is anticipated to be completed by fall 2024.
Additional work zones in the Silver Valley this season will include resurfacing the I-90 bridge over Pine Creek near Pinehurst, and adding the final layer to the driving surface on the eastbound bridges at Division Street and Elizabeth Park Road.
Both projects are slated to be completed in approximately one month from the time they start, which will likely be sometime in April, as weather allows.
Speed limits for all three construction zones will be reduced to 55 miles per hour for the safety of drivers and workers.
Drivers are encouraged to check 511.idaho.gov for impacts to traffic.
Up to twenty Idahoans interested in pursuing a career operating construction equipment or performing any of the associated construction or road-building trades like cement masonry, truck driving, carpentry, or concrete finishing are invited to apply for free training in Boise during a five-week course (April 17-May 25). ITD’s workforce development program ICONIC (Idaho Career Opportunities – Next In Construction) gives graduates an opportunity to land a job in the fast-growing construction industry paying on average of $43,000-$52,000 per year.
Recipients will get to showcase their skills to potential employers at the end of the course. Since 2020, approximately 80% of the 85 graduates have found employment in the industry within six months of completing the program – many within days or weeks.
“Construction is one of the most in-demand job fields in Idaho,” said Workforce Development Program Manager Jessika Doglietto. “There is no better time than now to seek a career in construction.”
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, possess a valid driver’s license, and be able to pass a drug-screening test.
For more information and to apply, please visit the program’s website at iconic.idaho.gov
From speeding, to weaving, to failing to yield there’s more to aggressive driving than just road rage. From March 19-30, the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is teaming up with law enforcement partners across the state for targeted aggressive driving enforcement. Expect to see more officers on the road to stop aggressive driving behavior.
Preliminary data from OHS shows that in 2023 there were nearly 14,000* aggressive driving crashes in Idaho and 103* people died.
Contributing factors used by OHS to identify aggressive driving include speeding, driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, failing to yield, and failing to obey a stop sign or signal.
“Aggressive driving is a choice, which means it’s within our power to change,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “Choosing to drive engaged and safely may save your life or someone else’s.”
It is incredibly important for parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of aggressive driving because teens are overrepresented in aggressive driving crashes. OHS found that in 2022, drivers ages 19 and younger were four times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes as all other drivers. Drivers under the age of 25 represent more than one-third (35%) of the drivers involved in aggressive driving crashes that year.
While the term aggressive driving leads many people to think of road rage, many behaviors are considered aggressive driving. Road rage is a violent criminal act that falls on the extreme end of aggressive driving.
If you encounter an aggressive or violent driver do not engage. Safely get out of their way as soon as possible. If you can get a vehicle description, license number, and location report the information to law enforcement.
Construction to upgrade the Heyburn Interchange (Exit 211) is scheduled to begin Monday (March 11), adding another work zone on Interstate 84 as work began at the nearby Burley Interchange (Exit 208) in late February. Both multi-year projects include replacing the interchanges, with funding coming from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho program.
The interchanges were built in the 1960s. Feedback from open houses held in 2022 and 2023 led to the selection of new designs that are safer and capable of handling more traffic.
On Monday, crews will mobilize into the area and begin setting up the work zone. Nighttime lane closure are not anticipated until early April when they place barrier and start removing vegetation in the median.
Upgrading the interchange will take until late 2026 and is expected to cost $90.1 million. Drivers can generally expect:
All lanes on I-84 will be open during the day. Drivers will be shifted many times to run on temporary pavement to keep traffic flowing.
Nighttime lane closures on I-84 as needed.
Nighttime ramp closures as needed.
Lane closures and traffic shifts on State Highway 24 where it crosses underneath the interstate.
This year, the contractor will work on building temporary lanes in the median to shift traffic onto, start reconstructing westbound lanes with concrete and form embankments for future ramps.
Nighttime lane closures initially anticipated at the Burley Interchange in late February have been delayed by weather. To be alerted when those lane closures begin, visit the project website to sign up for email updates. Live traffic impacts can always be checked at 511.idaho.gov.
The Leading Idaho program allows ITD to accelerate project timelines to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise take many years to fund and build.
Next week work will resume at the Interstate 84 Kimberly Interchange as crews continue to rebuild it to handle more traffic.
Drivers should plan for daytime lane closures on I-84 as early as Monday (March 11), pending weather conditions.
Traffic will remain shifted to the newly constructed northbound lanes on the bridge going over the interstate. Over the next two weeks, crews will demolish the southbound lanes of the overpass.
Lane closures on both I-84 and SH-50 will remain in place for several months, even after bridge demolition is complete. Throughout construction drivers can expect reduced speed limits, traffic shifts and short-duration ramp closures.
Reconstruction of the interchange includes additional space for turning lanes, sidewalks and a pedestrian fence on the SH-50 bridge. It is also designed to provide extra room for potential future expansion of I-84 underneath the bridge, though nothing is planned at this time.
Work began in June 2023, and since then crews have rebuilt half of the SH-50 bridge and part of all the ramps as well as repaved SH-50 near the bridge. For more information visit I-84/SH-50: Kimberly Interchange | ITD Projects (idaho.gov).
Construction should wrap up in the fall of 2024. Travelers are urged to download the 511 app or visit 511.idaho.gov to stay up to date on traffic impacts.
Beginning Monday, crews with the Idaho Transportation Department will close the eastbound off-ramp at Exit 15 on Interstate 90 in Coeur d’Alene to remove hazard trees. The ramp will be closed daily from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday.
Removing unhealthy trees in the area will reduce the risk for them to fall during windstorms onto traffic, adjacent structures, and utilities. Taking out the trees will also mean less pine needles and debris that could build up and clog the drainage system.
During the closure drivers can access downtown by exiting the freeway at Exit 14 and taking 15th Street south to Sherman Avenue. The next available off-ramp for drivers is Exit 17 at Mullan Trail Road two miles to the east.
Signs are in place throughout the I-90 corridor in Coeur d’Alene to alert travelers of the closure.
Crews will perform similar work in the coming weeks on the eastbound off-ramp at Exit 14, which will also require intermittent ramp closures for safety. Messaging boards will be used to alert motorists and provide alternate route information.
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, it’s important that everyone celebrate safely, and get a sober ride home. Expect more police on the roads looking to stop drunk driving. The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is working with law enforcement to increase patrols during the holiday weekend to keep impaired drivers off the road.
“If you are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a pint or two, don’t rely on luck to get home safely. Plan ahead for a ride home with a sober driver, and remember, always wear your seatbelt,” advised Impaired Driving Program Specialist Lisa Losness.
OHS data shows that in 2022, 51% of all fatalities on Idaho roads were the result of impaired driving. Only 23% of the people killed in those crashes were wearing seat belts. If you celebrate this weekend, keep your community and yourself safe by using a rideshare, cab or designated driver.
The Idaho Transportation Department will reach the halfway point this spring in a four-year reconstruction of the I-90/SH-41 interchange in Post Falls. Motorists can expect several changes throughout the construction zone in 2024.
The 2024 construction season will include reconstructing multiple bridges on I-90 and constructing a temporary westbound bridge over SH-41. Crews will continue working on Seltice Way, I-90 and SH-41. Download an overview of 2024 construction activities.
“This is one of the most complex interchanges in the state, with multiple bridges and intersecting roadways,” said ITD Project Manager Shannon Stein. “Our crews have made outstanding progress while keeping the interchange open for daytime commuters.”
Traffic impacts in 2024 will include:
Ongoing nighttime closures on SH-41 for the next several weeks during pile-driving.
Lane closures on SH-41 and Mullan Avenue by late March or early April.
Speed limit reductions (55 mph on I-90 and 25 mph on SH-41, Mullan Avenue, and Seltice Way).
Intermittent lane restrictions on I-90 at night (8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. during special events). Two lanes will remain open in both directions of I-90 during the day with reduced shoulder widths.
Additional delays, noise, and nighttime lighting when necessary. Live traffic impacts are posted at idaho.gov.
“The work zone will continue to change from day to day,” said Stein. “The best way to stay informed about construction is to sign up for email updates at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i90sh41ic or by calling 208-738-4190.”
To learn about the future interchange and how it will function, watch this video.
The Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds through Governor Little’s “Leading Idaho” initiative has allowed this $78 million interchange reconstruction project to begin earlier than expected. This program has allowed ITD to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise have taken many years to fund and build.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2026 and will provide enhanced safety and mobility for motorists in North Idaho.
