Knife River Corporation received the bid for the project that will construct an interchange on U.S. Highway 95/U.S. Highway 12 at the east entrance to Aht’Wy Plaza for $24.77 million.
With a contractor now on board, work could work could begin by mid-May and is expected to take less than two years. The four-lane highway will be separated by concrete barrier and the existing median, turn lanes and acceleration lanes will be eliminated.
Download renderings of the design of the interchange.
“The interchange will allow drivers to safely access the businesses in the plaza without any conflicts with drivers already on the highway traveling at 65 mph,” said Doral Hoff, District Engineer for the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD).
In April the Nez Perce Tribe and ITD had announced the joint project would be delayed due to increased costs of essential materials. To cover rising costs, the NPT and ITD applied for additional funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Department of Tribal Transportation Bridge Funding, which was approved in November. The project will still make use of the original $19 million in FHWA FY2020 BUILD grant funding.
“The Nez Perce Tribe set Aht’Wy Interchange project as a priority for the past 18 years; “Safety” along this corridor has been the primary concern. It is exciting to see this project in Construction Phase!” said Samuel N. Penney, Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee Chairman.
A tentative groundbreaking event is scheduled for April 12th. Learn more and sign up for updates at itdprojects.org/ahtwyinterchange.
BOISE– Sign up for e-notifications from The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)! The DMV now offers text and email renewal reminders. E-notifications will launch in May, but customers have the option to enroll today.
“At the DMV, we want to be flexible and frugal,” said DMV Administrator Lisa McClellan. “With e-notifications, customers can choose what works best for them and save on paper and postage in the process.” Additionally, customers who opt-in will get near real-time updates when there is a change in their driver status instead of waiting to get a notice in the mail.
To enroll, go online to dmvonline.itd.idaho.gov and choose your preferred notification method. Simply log on to the website with your most recent credential number, add your email or phone number, and select yes when prompted to opt-in to e-notifications. You can select email, text messages, or both. If you already provided your email or phone number to your account, you will still need to opt-in to confirm that you want electronic notifications. The DMV will send an e-notification enrollment invite to anyone whose e-mail address is already on file.
DMV customers will continue to receive mailed statements by default if they do not select an e-notification option. If you prefer mailed reminders over electronic communication, no action is needed at this time.
Email and text notifications from the DMV are a secure and convenient way to get renewal reminders. The DMV will only use your contact for official DMV business and will not share your information with anyone.
DMV.idaho.gov is a one-stop-shop for everything DMV. There are over a dozen transactions that can be completed online, everything from change of address to registration and driver’s license renewals. Skip the Trip, save time, and go online to DMV.idaho.gov.
AMERICAN FALLS – The Idaho Transportation Department will host an informal drop-in meeting for the planned improvement of the Intersection of Pocatello Avenue and SH-39. Project staff will be on hand to answer questions on March 7 from 4:30-6:30 at the American Falls District Library, 308 Roosevelt Street.
ITD is planning to improve safety, traffic flow, and mobility at the intersection with a Continuous Green T design. The Green T will allow continuous movements everywhere except at the stop sign in the northbound lane of Pocatello Avenue.
While ITD initially considered a roundabout at the intersection, further review and community input resulted in a design change to a Green T which lessens the turning movements for most of the trucking traffic on SH-39. The design also makes it easier for large farm equipment to navigate the intersection.
The federally funded $3.25 million project is planned for 2025. During construction some lane closures will occur.
SWAN VALLEY – An Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) snowplow struck an Idaho State Police (ISP) patrol car at approximately 8:30 this morning during white-out conditions. The incident occurred in the westbound lane on U.S. Highway 26 near Swan Valley.
The patrol car was occupied by two ISP troopers who were at the scene of an earlier crash when the snowplow rear-ended the patrol car. Both troopers were transported by car to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center to be checked out as a precautionary measure.
US-26 was closed in both directions between Ririe and Swan Valley from milepost 355 to milepost 377 due to wind, drifting snow and reduced visibility. There were multiple collisions reported in the region.
“We are grateful that everyone was able to walk away from this crash,” ITD District 6 Engineer Jason Minzghor said. “We appreciate our partners at ISP and our ITD crews out there risking their lives to try and keep the roads as safe as possible during these harsh conditions.”
Several highways were closed in the region due to inclement weather.
The final phase of a two-year project will begin Monday, March 6, to extend the three-lane section of U.S. Highway 95 from Alderson Lane to Labrosse Hill Street in Bonners Ferry.
“This project will add wider shoulders, sidewalks and lighting to the highway to make it safer and more in line with features you’d find in city limits,” Project Manager Phil Stout said.
Drivers can generally expect a lane to be open in each direction until construction ends in October. Most work will take place during the day, with some night work and detours possible as intersections and driveways are improved.
Starting next week the intersection at US-95 and Pine Island will be closed for the entire duration of construction so that it can be realigned to lessen the incline on the side street and make it easier to turn on and off the highway. All traffic will be detoured to Mirror Lake Road and Riverside Street, but there may be periods of time as the work allows when local passenger-vehicle traffic will be allowed use the intersection.
“ITD has spent four summers so far building these improvements from the Kootenai River Bridge to Eisenhower Street,” Stout said. “This is the last stretch of a multi-year project.”
Learn more about construction that first began in 2018 at itdprojects.org/us95bonnersferry.
BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Department is aware of the poor pavement condition on Broadway Avenue in Boise and is working to address the issue. Winter weather has accelerated the roadway surface separating from the pavement underneath, resulting in many large, shallow potholes.
ITD is working to address the pothole problem on an ongoing temporary basis, as well as with a permanent repair planned for this summer. The temporary repairs consist of filling the holes with “cold patch” material, but that has proven challenging as the potholes are shallow enough that the material quickly becomes displaced. None the less, maintenance crews will continue to target those potholes that will hold the patch material.
Permanent repairs will be performed once weather allows later this year. ITD is accepting bids to repave Broadway Avenue from I-84 to Beacon/East Park Boulevard. The project is scheduled to kick off this summer and will ultimately provide drivers with a new, smooth roadway surface.
ITD appreciates the public’s patience and is working diligently to start repaving Broadway Avenue as soon as possible.
BOISE- The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and law enforcement partners across Idaho are joining forces to educate drivers and stop aggressive driving. From February 26 through March 11, expect to see extra officers focused on stopping dangerous, aggressive driving.
In 2022, preliminary data shows there were 14,002 aggressive driving crashes in Idaho. Last year 39 percent of all fatal crashes involved some form of aggressive driving behavior.
“When you hear the words aggressive driving, the first term that comes to mind for most people is road rage,” said Denise Dinnauer, the Aggressive Driving Program Manager for OHS. “But road rage is a criminal act on the extreme end of a wide array of behaviors. More people engage in aggressive driving than they may realize.”
Examples of aggressive driving include:
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Cutting in front of another driver and then slowing down
- Failing to stop for red lights or stop signs
- Failing to yield
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Changing lanes without signaling
- Blocking cars that are attempting to change lanes
- Passing a vehicle on the wrong side of the road or on the shoulder
- Screaming, honking, or flashing lights
- Making hand gestures or facial expressions at other drivers
OHS encourages people to drive engaged and think critically about the effect that impulse, emotion, and impatience can have on their actions behind the wheel.
“We know Idahoans want to do the right thing, but people may not realize when they are slipping into aggressive driving behavior that they are putting lives at risk,” Dinnauer said. “We can all do our part to keep our roads safe and save lives.”
OHS has more aggressive driving prevention materials available at shift-idaho.org/aggressive-driving/.
BOISE – Repairs to the Interstate 84 Galloway Road overpass in Canyon County will begin in late February and will include overnight interstate detours for westbound motorists.
The overpass, located between State Highway 44 (Exit 25) and Sand Hollow/Oasis Road (Exit 17), will be fully closed during this work to repair damages due to a large truck hitting the structure.
During some overnight work, westbound I-84 traffic will be detoured off the interstate at SH-44 and up Old Highway 30 to the Sand Hollow/Oasis Road interchange and then back onto I-84.
Advanced notification of those detours will be posted on I-84 near the work zone and on 511.idaho.gov and on the 511 app.
“Safety is our highest priority,” said Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Project Manager Justin Wolf. “Please watch for flaggers and other crews working in the area and follow all posted signs.”
Shoshone – As part of Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho Program, the public is invited to learn more about selected design plans for Interstate 84 (I-84) Burley and Heyburn Interchanges (Exits 208 and 211).
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will host a public and online meeting to share plans and gather feedback about interchange improvements.
Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: Burley Hampton Inn
560 Hampton Drive, Heyburn, ID
The public meeting will be hosted in an open house format with members of the project team on hand to gather input and answer questions.
If you are unable to attend the in-person meeting, please participate online where you can review plans and leave a comment 24 hours a day beginning March 2 until March 15, 2023.
To learn more about the project, please visit itdprojects.org/projects/i-84-burley-and-heyburninterchanges. For additional information or questions, please call (208) 387-7012 or email stephanie.borders@hdrinc.com.
Information will also be available about other projects in the area, including the SH-27 Burley to Paul rehabilitation project and the I-84 Kasota to Burley reconstruction project.
The interchange redesign project is being funded as part of Idaho Governor Brad Little’s “Leading Idaho” transportation funding initiative. The Leading Idaho initiative 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 the Mini-Cassia region and communities across the state for years to come.
