Winter weather can be unpredictable, especially on the roads. As a driver, your first and last line of defense is your seat belt. Starting today, more police officers will be on the roads for a statewide seat belt enforcement campaign.
From Friday, November 22 through the end of the month, over 50 state and local law enforcement agencies are partnering with the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) for extra patrols focused on seat belt safety.
During the winter there is a lot that is outside of our control, from the weather to the behavior of other drivers. “What happens in your car is totally under your control, so slow down, drive engaged and buckle up. Let your seat belt do its job of saving your life in the event of a crash,” explained OHS Occupant Protection Program Specialist Tabitha Smith.
If you are in a crash, a buckled seat belt reduces your risk of death by 45% and risk of serious injury by 50%. Last year, 85 people in vehicles who were not buckled up died in traffic crashes.
Data from OHS’s annual seatbelt survey shows that 86% of Idahoans wear their seatbelts. Expect to see more police on the roads in the next few weeks focusing on stopping and educating drivers about seat belt safety, and hopefully saving lives.
DUBOIS—Southbound travelers on Interstate 15 are being detoured around the Stoddard Creek Bridge at Exit 184, which has been closed due to a damaged and deteriorating road surface. Interstate traffic is being slowed to 45 mph and directed onto the ramps so drivers can proceed over and through without stopping.
The Idaho Transportation Department has closed W. Camas Creek Road under the bridge to allow for this detour. Operations engineers and facilities managers are monitoring the path to ensure smooth passage for vehicles and semis.
Major improvements to the Stoddard Creek Bridge were already planned for early next spring. With the bridge condition worsening substantially, these have been advanced to start in January. Repairs are expected to take several months, with this closure in place until spring.
The Idaho Transportation Department Dubois maintenance crew and other operations personnel are monitoring the closure daily. Traffic control devices are also weighted and placed to avoid being covered by snow removal efforts. ITD will make necessary changes and efforts to keep traffic in this area moving safely through the winter.
Road updates and status can be found at 511.idaho.gov or on the Idaho 511 app.
After being struck by an oversized load on Monday, the bridge on Brunner Road over U.S. Highway 95 will experience a long-term westbound lane closure through winter until repairs can be made in the spring.
An excavator being hauled on a large semi-trailer was not properly secured, and the bucket shifted during transport, causing it to exceed the posted height clearance and strike the bridge overhead as the truck passed beneath.
Idaho Transportation Department staff were immediately dispatched to the scene of the crash to inspect the bridge and determine an appropriate course of action. Based on their findings and expert recommendations, the outside westbound lane of the bridge will be closed for the remainder of winter to prevent load restrictions from being put in place on the entire structure. That will still leave one lane in each direction open for travel.
Crews will also be inspecting the damaged areas weekly to ensure the bridge remains safe for travelers both on Brunner Road and US-95 beneath.
The driver who caused the crash was located and cited by law enforcement. ITD will be working with the private insurance company to recover costs for damage repairs.
It is important to understand that incidents like this are extremely costly and can easily be prevented by taking care—especially when hauling large equipment or oversized loads—to ensure they are properly secured, and remain properly secured, during travel.
EAST IDAHO— With snowy conditions foreseeably here to stay, the Idaho Transportation Department is committed to keeping motorists safe. In eastern Idaho, maintenance crews are now working around the clock shifts from the Utah to Montana state lines as needed.
These 17 crews across eastern Idaho keep more than 4,300 lane miles of state highways and interstates as clear as possible all winter long. Plowing that amount of roadway means patience and caution from the public are important.
“We have high confidence in our plow teams,” ITD Operations Engineer Jeremie Pettingill said. “Winter driving does take some planning though. Slow down and be aware. Know that we’re prepared and doing the very best we can.”
ITD aims to keep roads bare 70% of the time during storms. The wind conditions in east Idaho often make that unrealistic and are the primary cause of road closures through the winter.
Closures are put in place only when conditions are unsafe. Roads are also only closed as long as necessary. Closures allow operators to be more efficient getting snow cleaned up, braving the elements as they do.
ITD reminds motorists across east Idaho to use common safe winter driving practices:
- Brush and scrape your windows before driving. Starting the defrost in your vehicle well before you leave is very helpful.
- Slow way down! Speed limits are based on ideal conditions and aren’t appropriate during winter weather.
- Maintain substantial distance between yourself and other drivers—don’t follow closely.
- Stay calm and don’t make sudden wheel movements in icy conditions.
- Don’t use cruise control in the winter.
- Obey posted road closure signs and lights—finding a back way to access closed roads is dangerous and delays plow work to get them re-opened! Remember roads are only closed for good reason. Unexpected traffic and crashes significantly delay getting the road re-opened.
- Keep a winter emergency kit in your vehicle with supplies like water, lights, warm clothes and blankets, etc.
- When you see plows, give them room to work. That means leaving plenty of following distance, not crowding them and letting them lead the way. Last winter, 17 plow strike occurred across Idaho, most often due to drivers attempting to pass.
- Know before you go by checking conditions at 511.idaho.gov or on the Idaho 511 app. Cameras can show you exactly what to expect on certain roadways, and conditions are updated multiple times a day.
As winter sets in the Idaho Transportation Department marks a major milestone for the historic rebuild of the System Interchange in Pocatello, with crews set to shift traffic and open all bridges this weekend.
Beginning tomorrow crews will restripe the new southbound lanes of Interstate 15. Once complete the new southbound lanes will open to traffic. On Sunday crews will also restripe the new northbound lanes of I-15. When this work is complete both northbound and southbound traffic will be on the new mainlines through the project area. This will mean that all the new bridges will be open to traffic. Additionally, the new northbound I-15 to westbound Interstate 86 ramp will also be opened to traffic.
Begun in July of 2022, the project required building eight new bridges while maintaining traffic through the interchange. This necessitated numerous traffic shifts to utilize old and new bridges. With this latest milestone, most of the major traffic shifts will be complete.
However, construction will continue into next summer. A new detour will be put in place for traffic using the Pocatello Creek on-ramp to head west toward Chubbuck. Traffic will be routed through the Northgate Interchange while crews rebuild the old mainline roadway to match the grade of the new road. That work will continue into early spring.
In addition, work will continue on Chubbuck Road which is scheduled to partially open to traffic in late December. Additional work will need to be done next spring to complete the Chubbuck Road segment of the project after the partial opening.
“We’re really excited to finally have all the I-15 traffic moved to the new mainlines,” Project Engineer Greg Roberts said. “We can’t express enough thanks to the community for their patience as we’ve worked through the logistics of such a large project.”
Originally built in the 1960s, the I-86 and I-15 System Interchange is undergoing $112 million of redesign work to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure.
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 travel safely.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available on ITD’s projects website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/i-86i-15-system-interchange.
A crash at Exit 216 for Declo has closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 84.
A semi traveling on State Highway 25 over I-84 crashed into the guardrail and is now partly off the bridge and impacting interstate traffic. Idaho Transportation Department workers are on site to assess the scene and will determine how to remove the semi safely.
One lane is closed on SH-25. No detour is posted for the I-84 closure.
Drivers should avoid the area, plan extra time to travel and check 511.idaho.gov for updates.
Work on the new four-lane segment of U.S. Highway 95 between Moscow and Thorn Creek Road will continue as planned into 2025, opening to traffic by the end of that year. Speed restrictions of 45 miles per hour remain in some areas on the existing US-95 as drivers travel near the project through the winter.
While crews have constructed 4.8 miles of the new six-mile highway project including two large bridges over Eid Road since work began in 2022, wetland bridge and retaining wall work is needed on the south end while pavement construction is planned on both connections next year.
The paving operation production rate of the contractor was good this summer but not to the extent ready to consider a partial opening for traffic use.
“Overall, I am impressed with M.A. DeAtley Construction, Inc. and their teams working with ITD on this safety project, helping to expedite restarting the work since we received our new Army Corps permit update in 2023,” District Engineer Doral Hoff said.
Portions of this project are funded as part of Idaho Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho transportation funding initiative. The Leading Idaho money allows ITD to take a deliberate approach to advance large projects that will enhance safety, improve mobility, further strengthen Idaho’s economy and positively impact communities across the state for years to come.
Travelers are reminded to check for live traffic impacts across the region including this one by visiting 511.idaho.gov, dialing 5-1-1 or downloading the app.
An interim operational plan is now in place at the intersection of State Highway 16 and Substation Road in Emmett, following a crash in October.
On Oct. 16, a large truck collided with the traffic signal at this busy intersection, causing significant damage to both the foundation and the electrical conduit of the signal. As a result, the intersection has now reopened with an interim traffic pattern to ensure safety and mobility until the permanent repairs are made.
Under this interim operational plan, stop signs have been installed to facilitate traffic flow. Drivers can make the following movements:
- Westbound SH-16 to Substation Road (right turn)
- Eastbound SH-16 to Substation Road (left turn)
Drivers on Substation Road can only turn right onto the highway. Those wanting to cross the highway or go left will be detoured to South John Avenue. Rerouting traffic to a signalized intersection is best to mitigate safety risks at the intersection.
The Idaho Transportation Department anticipates that these interim measures will remain in place until late November. This timeframe will allow for the ordering of new parts, as well as the demolition and reconstruction of the foundation, and to restore the electrical connections.
ITD appreciates the public’s patience and encourages drivers to always check their route at 511.idaho.gov.
The Idaho Transportation Department invites the community to attend one of two upcoming public meetings for a study evaluating the state and local roadway system across the Rathdrum Prairie. Input will help develop a range of alternatives for consideration that will improve mobility and connectivity, enhance safety, and address growth.
This study began in 2023, and since that time the public has participated in the screening process by providing input about the environment, growth, and their unique perspective on a variety of community issues. The input provided during the June public meetings has been incorporated into the current transportation alternatives that will be presented at the meetings next week.
ITD will also share more information about the Planning and Environmental Linkages study process and timeline of events.
Identical information will be shared at both meetings, which will be held in an open-house style to allow participants to drop in at their convenience anytime between 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to review the information, talk with project staff, and provide feedback
Public Meetings
November 13, 2024
4:30 p.m. -7 p.m.
Lake City Center
1916 N. Lakewood Drive
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
November 14, 2024
4:30 p.m. -7 p.m.
Trailhead Event Center at Q’emiln Park
12361 W. Parkway Drive
Post Falls, ID 83854
For those who are unable to attend in person, an online version of this public meeting, including the same content, will be available from November 15-29 at https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/rathdrum-prairie-pel.
Recommendations from the PEL study, and public and agency input, may be adopted, or incorporated into future National Environmental Policy Act studies.
The Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police are teaming up to provide a free, informative and engaging winter driving safety class next Thursday as the region prepares for icy roads and adverse weather.
While this course is beneficial for drivers of all ages and skill levels, it is especially geared to young drivers and anyone new to the area who may be preparing for his or her first winter driving season.
Courses will be taught by ISP troopers and ITD operators, covering a wide range of topics from proper vehicle preparation, equipment, road conditions, crashes, and snowplow safety. Participants who attend the course will receive a certificate of completion and be eligible for a 10% discount on a set of new snow tires at the Twin Falls Blue Lakes Les Schwab Tire location.
Thursday, November 14
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Idaho State Police Department
418 W Yakima Ave
Jerome, ID
Seating is limited. Attendees must register online to reserve a seat. Additional courses may be scheduled at a later date.