Motorists can expect improvements at the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and Truck Route Bypass Road at the north side of Grangeville starting today.
A northbound right turn lane and southbound left turn lane will be added to US-95. The turn bays will enhance safety by allowing turning traffic to pull out of the travel lanes to decelerate.
Additionally, about 100 feet of the Truck Route Bypass Road will be regraded to provide a smoother transition onto US-95. Other improvements on the project will include the installation of new culverts and regraded ditches for stormwater transport.
Lane closures with flaggers and pilot car should be expected. The work zone will be short in length and delays should be minimum at 15 minutes.
Construction will conclude by the end of September. 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.
With construction ramping up along Interstate 15 the Idaho Transportation Department is asking motorists to drive defensively and take alternate routes when possible. Work occurring at the south Blackfoot exit (Exit 89) and north of Exit 93 has resulted in increased congestion along the corridor.
“We recommend Blackfoot residents take an alternate route such as U.S. Highway 91 to an exit north of the Rose area,” Engineer Kevin Sonico said. Doing so not only decreases the number of vehicles on I-15, but also allows motorists to avoid driving through the construction zone north of Blackfoot.
The repaving project north of Blackfoot will improve safety and drivers’ experience with a smooth new surface. During construction traffic is shifted to the southbound lanes through a crossover. Drivers should expect reduced speeds through the construction zone. The project is expected to take about seven weeks to complete.
Work at Exit 89 consists of rehabilitating the bridge surface by repairing joints and potholes. This will extend the life of the bridge. “Our goal is to have this done by September 1,” said Engineer Zak Johnson. “We really want to have everything done before the start of the fair.”
Johnson also recommends drivers take US-91 as an alternate route whenever possible.
Motorists are encouraged to stay updated on project detours and traffic impacts at 511.idaho.gov or on the 511 app.
The Idaho Transportation Department will intermittently close 10th Avenue under Interstate 84 in Caldwell beginning on Monday. These closures are necessary for crews to safely demolish the westbound lanes of the I-84 bridge. The intermittent closures will occur through September.
Motorists can expect:
10th Avenue will close during weekdays and may reopen on weekends.
Pedestrians will be detoured to the pedestrian overpass over I-84. See a detour map.
Access to businesses will remain open, but routes may change during the closures.
After 10th Avenue reopens, crews plan to restrict it to one lane in each direction until next year.
Crews will demolish the westbound side of the bridge section by section, which will take several weeks to complete. Closing 10th Avenue will give crews the space they need to bring multiple pieces of equipment in and out of the work zone safely.
“This closure will help us complete the bridge demo as quickly as possible while keeping the traveling public safe,” Resident Engineer Styles Salek said. “We will do everything we can to re-open 10th Avenue quickly, and we thank everyone for their patience in the meantime.”
This bridge demolition is part of ITD’s I-84 Centennial Way to Franklin Road project, which is widening the interstate to three lanes in each direction, replacing the 10th Avenue Interchange and adding a soundwall along Hannibal Street from 10th Avenue to Centennial Way. This project is expected to be completed in 2027.
For more information about the project and to stay updated on closure dates:
We all know the frustrations of modern life and juggling a busy schedule, but speed limits are put in place to protect you, your family, friends, and all road users. Law enforcement agencies across the state will be patrolling Idaho roads for aggressive drivers between July 19 and August 11 to help ensure everyone can travel to their final destinations safely and enjoy the last hurrahs of summer.
So far this summer, 40* people have died in crashes on Idaho roads, bringing the year-to-date total to 114* deaths.
“Speed limits save lives and you can too by slowing down, buckling up, and driving engaged,” explained Denise Dinnauer, aggressive driving program specialist with the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS). “Driving engaged means free from distractions, actively scanning the road ahead, and following the speed limit to safely react to any dangers that occur.”
OHS prepares an annual traffic crash report. It is a statistical analysis of all crashes that happen on Idaho roads each year. The full 2023 Idaho Traffic Crash Report is now available online.
The report shows that aggressive driving was a contributing factor in 50 percent of motor vehicle crashes and 103 people were killed in aggressive driving crashes on Idaho roadways last year. While 74% of all aggressive driving crashes occurred in urban areas, 61% of the fatal aggressive driving crashes occurred in rural areas. Drivers under age 19 were 43.9 times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes and drivers 20-24 were 1.9 times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes.
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.”
