Roadwork to begin in Blackfoot area

BLACKFOOT – Beginning Monday the Idaho Transportation Department will begin work on pavement preservation projects in the Blackfoot area on Interstate 15 and US Highway 91. Motorists should plan for single lane closures and reduced speed limits in the work zones.

Interstate 15 will receive a micro-surfacing treatment north of the Blackfoot rest area. Micro-surfacing improves and protects the road surface.

On US-91 from Shelley to York Road, ITD will begin chip sealing. Chip sealing, also called seal coating, maximizes the taxpayers’ investment by extending the lifespan of the pavement. Hot temperatures are needed to ensure a successful application. Chip sealing protects pavement from sun, oxidation, weather, water, oil and gas, and improves traction for drivers.

As work progresses, the I-15 Business Loop through Blackfoot will also be improved. All work is scheduled to be completed by mid-July.

Please check 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app for the most recent information on road work.

Secure your load, it could save a life

BOISE— Safe driving goes beyond the steering wheel; it extends to your whole vehicle and trailer when you hit the road. That’s why the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is recognizing National Secure Your Load Day on June 6, 2023. It is every driver’s responsibility to ensure all cargo is safely secured. Unsecured loads pose a safety risk on our roadways.

Objects or debris can fall from vehicles or trailers and collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or fatalities. Idaho code states, no vehicle shall be operated on any public highway unless such vehicle’s load is secured to prevent the load from becoming loose, detached or a hazard to other users of the highway.

“Many drivers think that only commercial vehicle drivers are responsible for securing their cargo,” said OHS Program Manager Josephine Middleton. “We want our community to know that it is every driver’s responsibility to ensure their load is properly secured. It’s the right thing to do and it could save the life of the person behind you.”

According to Idaho’s Crash Database, from 2018 to 2022, 82 people were injured as a result of an object that was not properly secured. During this same time period, 2 people lost their lives. Non-commercial passenger vehicles accounted for 61% of the crashes in which cargo was not properly secured.

Before transporting a load, check that your vehicle’s load is secured on the top, sides, and back, and make sure nothing can blow or fall out. Ensure your load is safe if you were to suddenly hit the brakes or a speed bump, or if you were hit by another vehicle. Ask yourself, “Would I feel safe driving behind my loaded vehicle?”

Follow these tips to ensure you properly secure your load:

Tie it down with rope, netting, or straps.
Tie large objects directly to your vehicle or trailer.
Consider covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting.
Don’t overload your vehicle or trailer.
Always double-check your load to make sure it’s secure.

Project to improve safety on SH-53 near Hauser receives $36 million grant

Yesterday (June 5) a long-awaited project to improve safety on State Highway 53 near Hauser was awarded a $36 million grant, which could move construction up several years.

The project includes closing three at-grade railroad crossings and building a new interchange at Pleasant View Road and SH-53. About 46 train movements are recorded at the crossings each day.

“When the highway is blocked by trains, it cuts off communities on the prairie and potentially delays emergency services,” Engineering Manager Marvin Fenn said. “This project will make it safer for everyone by carrying cars up and over train traffic at one consolidated point at Pleasant View. Traffic will no longer be blocked, and trains won’t have to blow their horns when passing through.”

The department is evaluating the conditions of the grant as well as ongoing and future projects on SH-53 to determine how early construction of this two-year project can start.

“We had been planning to build it starting in 2028, but now we’re looking to build it much sooner,” Fenn said.

Download a rendering of the new design.

Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration. Project partners include the BNSF Railway and the Post Falls Highway District with both entities contributing $3 million and $2 million respectively. ITD will contribute $4 million toward construction of the project. Construction is expected to total $45 million.

The project was first identified during a 2006 study called Bridging the Valley, which created a list of projects that would separate all vehicle traffic from train traffic along 42 miles of highway between Spokane, Washington, and Athol, Idaho.

US-95 construction projects near Copeland to start later this month

Update: the project north of the SH-1 Junction will now start June 19 instead of June 12, and the project south of the SH-1 junction will now start June 21 instead of June 19. Check 511 for future schedule changes.

Two construction projects will start later this month on U.S. Highway 95 near Copeland.

The first project begins Monday, June 12, and will sealcoat about 10 miles north of the State Highway 1 Junction. Work will take about three weeks, with only one lane of the highway open during the day while crews are on site. All lanes will be open at night when crews are not on site, but the speed limit will remain reduced to prevent windshield damage from driving too quickly over rocks.

Another work zone will be set up on Monday, June 19, south of the SH-1 Junction to resurface seven miles. Crews will work a mix of daytime and nighttime shifts. Traffic will be reduced to one lane and controlled by a pilot car while workers are on site. Construction is expected to last about two months.

There will be about five miles between the work zones. No work is expected during the week of July 4.

Travelers are reminded to check 511.idaho.gov for delays from construction and other activities.

American Falls Interchange 40 westbound on-ramp closed until mid-July

AMERICAN FALLS – The Idaho Transportation Department has restarted work on I-86 bridges near American Falls. This work necessitates the American Falls Interchange 40 westbound on-ramp to be closed until mid-July. Westbound traffic from American Falls and State Highway 39 is being detoured to Exit 36.

ITD asks all motorists to remember to slow down and obey flaggers and construction signs in construction areas. To be kept up to date on construction, road closures, and road conditions check 511.idaho.gov or download the 511 app.

Nighttime upgrades to signals on US-95 in CDA begin tonight

Vehicles passing through the US-95 and Prairie Avenue intersection

This summer 11 signals on U.S. Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene and Hayden will be upgraded, with work set to start tonight.

Construction will occur Sunday night through Thursday night between 8 p.m./9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Weekend work is possible and will generally start later at night to minimize impacts.

The project will focus on one intersection at a time, with work scheduled to take about one week per intersection. The contractor will start upgrades tonight at the signals for the I-90 ramps and generally move north throughout the summer to the signal at Lancaster Road.

As each intersection receives repairs at night, the signal will be shut off, and the highway will be reduced to one lane. Traffic on all intersecting roadways will be controlled by flaggers, but by 5 a.m. the signal will be functioning normally.

Some intersections will experience more significant impacts. Construction will affect the below intersections both night and day. Traffic already on US-95 will not be able to turn left off the highway, and traffic on the side street will only be able to turn right onto the highway. Drivers needing to turn left off US-95 can follow posted detours or make a U-turn at the next intersection.

Neider Avenue in late June
Dalton Avenue in late June
Hanley Avenue in mid-July
Honeysuckle Avenue in late July
Hayden Avenue in early August
Wyoming Avenue in mid-August
Lancaster Road in late August

Upgrades include many safety features, like pre-emption devices that will allow emergency services providers to trigger green lights when responding to calls or backup power that will ensure signals at the busiest intersections will stay lit during long outages.

“Over the last several years, we have seen extended power outages,” Project Manager Breanna Logerwell said. “When our signals lose power, they eventually go into flash mode, or each direction gets a flashing red or yellow light to stop or to yield. Some of these intersections see almost 60,000 vehicles a day, so that kind of stop-and-go situation creates significant congestion and can be a major safety concern if drivers don’t realize they’re not operating like normal.”

Many of the signals on US-95 have been in place more than 30 years, and the systems that detect traffic and send information to the signals have largely not been updated since before 2010.

“For those drivers who feel like the signal rotation skips them, this will solve that,” Logerwell said. “We’ll have the latest technology to detect traffic and optimize overall flow in the corridor.”

The project is expected to take about four months. A specialized consultant has been hired to develop a new timing plan for the signals after the upgrades are complete.

For live traffic impacts and to know the timing of construction at each intersection, visit 511.idaho.gov.

Fuel Services Now Available in Elk City

ELK CITY– Fuel is once again available for purchase in Elk City.

Signs in Grangeville and Darby that were placed in April notifying motorists about the lack of fuel services in Elk City will be removed.

To get continual updates about weather-related road conditions, road work, commercial vehicle restrictions, road closures, and other travel, please visit Idaho 511. Access it 24/7 on the web at 511.idaho.gov, by downloading the free mobile app or by dialing 511 on your phone.

Bridge repairs underway on US-20 in Idaho Falls

Bridge repairs are underway on U.S. Highway 20 in Idaho Falls at the bridge over Riverside Drive.

Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane for approximately one week while crews repair the expansion joints.

The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph.

The lane closure will remain in effect even when crews are not on site to allow the new concrete to cure.

More extensive repairs to the bridge are needed and planned for later this summer.

For updates on traffic impacts on state highways and interstates, drivers should check 511.idaho.gov before traveling.

Star Road closure planned as part of US-20/26 construction to start in June

BOISE — The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will temporarily close Star Road in June as part of ongoing construction on U.S. Highway 20/26, (Chinden West), weather permitting. Work will include paving and intersection improvements and requires two separate closures.

In early June, Star Road between US-20/26 and State Highway 44 (SH-44) will be closed for approximately one week. The road will only be open to local traffic and emergency service responders (police, fire, and paramedics). Signage will direct motorists to use State Highway 16 (SH-16) between US-20/26 and SH-44 instead of Star Road.

In mid-June, a southbound detour will be in place between US-20/26 and McMillan Road with all work anticipated to be complete in early July. Again, the road will only be open to local traffic and emergency responders. Signage will direct motorists to use Can Ada Road and McMillan Road instead of Star Road.

Drivers should pay attention to all posted signs and message boards near this work zone.

For more information on ITD’s work to improve US-20/26 between I-84 in Caldwell and Eagle Road in Meridian please visit the project website at itdprojects.org/projects/chindenwest

I-84 westbound off-ramp at Franklin Road/US-20/26 (Exit 29) to close in early June

Beginning in early June, the westbound Interstate 84 off-ramp at Franklin Road (Exit 29) in Caldwell will temporarily close, weather permitting. Traffic will be detoured to the 10th Street exit and back onto US-20/26 by way of I-84.

This closure will allow construction crews to safely expedite reconstruction of the westbound off-ramp to reduce impacts to the traveling public and businesses later in the project.

A signed route will guide motorists through the detour and back onto US-20/26 by way of I-84 during the closure, which is anticipated to be in place until late July.

Please slow down, pay attention, and watch for posted signs and crews in the work zone.

Work on US-20/26 between I-84 and Middleton Road will continue through 2024.

To learn more about the project and sign up for construction updates, please visit itdprojects.org/projects/chindenwest or call 208.608.6635.