This July the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) begins the next phase of construction on the State Highway 16 corridor through the central Treasure Valley. The new extension will run north to south between U.S. Highway 20/26 and Interstate 84, west of McDermott Road along the border of Ada and Canyon counties. It will tie into the existing SH-16 route, which continues north to Emmett.
Monday, July 18, initial work starts on the southern end of the corridor where crews will set barriers and shift traffic to create room to build ramps and the bridge foundation for what will become an interchange connecting I-84 to the SH-16 extension. Drivers can expect overnight lane closures on I-84 between the Black Cat Road and Robinson Road overpasses from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Work begins on the northern end, at the intersection of SH-16 and US-20/26, Monday, August 1. Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction on US-20/26 as crews remove the center median and widen the intersection. Lane restrictions on US-20/26 will be in place through next year.
“We are excited to get underway with the next step of construction,” said ITD Project Manager Merrill Sharp. “Ultimately, this highway will address growth and improve mobility for thousands of motorists in the central Treasure Valley.”
ITD is building SH-16 in phases. The first phase was completed in 2014 between US-20/26 and SH-44. The second phase will be under construction from 2022 to 2024. A third and final phase will be constructed in future years as funding becomes available.
Phase 2 includes constructing:
A new I-84 interchange to access the central Treasure Valley north of I-84.
Approximately 4.5 miles of highway between US-20/26 and I-84.
Overpasses crossing Cherry Lane and McMillan Road.
Bridges over irrigation canals and the railroad.
Signalized intersections at US-20/26, Franklin Road, and Ustick Road.
Reconstruction of the current signalized intersection at US-20/26.
Early construction activities will also include increased truck traffic in the area as crews haul materials and utility companies relocate infrastructure. Construction may require additional closures or delays on roads in the project area and nighttime work. “It will be important to plan ahead when traveling around the corridor. ITD will communicate regularly throughout construction with those who live, work, and commute in this area,” Sharp said.
Stay informed by signing up for email and text alerts regarding project updates. Text HIGHWAY16 to 1-866-483-8422 or visit itdprojects.org/sh16corridor. Maps and other details can also be found on the project website.
Phase 2 construction is funded through Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. Leading Idaho allows ITD to take a deliberate approach to invest in projects within the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) corridors that will enhance safety, improve mobility, further strengthen Idaho’s economy and positively impact communities across the state for years to come.
Work is expected to begin Monday (July 25) on a highway construction project in Rupert. The primarily focus of this project is to restore the condition of State Highway 24 and State Highway 25 in the area.
“These highways have long served as major connections between Interstate 84 and the cities of Paul, Rupert, Acequia, and Minidoka,” said ITD Project Manager Brock Dillé. “Upcoming work will improve both the safety and driving experience for motorists.”
During construction, the intersection at Oneida Street and East 8th Street will be reconfigured to provide better traffic flow. Stormwater repairs and Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades will also occur on pedestrian ramps.
“In addition to work on the roadway, Eastern Idaho Railroad will also make improvements to its system in this area,” Dillé stated.
While work is underway, traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction. Access points for the highway and the intersection at Oneida/East 8th streets will be temporarily closed for a portion of the project.
“We will not permanently remove any access points and will work to minimize the duration of any closures that occur,” said Dillé. “Motorists should plan for extra time when commuting through the area and be on the lookout for signs and flaggers when traveling through the work zone.”
Idaho Materials and Construction is the primary contractor on this project that is expected to be complete early fall.
As part of Governor Brad Little’s “Leading Idaho” initiative, the 2021 Idaho Legislature dedicated $126 million of one-time funds from Idaho’s budget surplus to transportation projects statewide. The funds were split 60/40 between ITD and local jurisdictions. Construction on this project is paid for with ITD’s portion of the funds that will accelerate projects to replace bridges, restore pavements, and improve mobility in communities across Idaho.
Last month Girl Scout Troop 1806 partnered with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to install homemade birdhouses near the US-95 McArthur Lake project south of Naples.
Project Manager Carrie Ann Hewitt has consulted IDFG biologists through the design of the project, which includes realigning one mile of the highway near the lake to make the existing curves safer for drivers and to elevate the highway where it dips down to the water. Elevating US-95 will also allow wildlife to pass underneath to access the IDFG McArthur Lake Wildlife Management Area.
The project will be constructed in 2023 and 2024, with tree thinning work this year to prepare for the realignment. Hewitt is a co-leader for the troop, which had been researching the state bird—the mountain bluebird—and the troop reached out to IDFG to see about improving habitat.
“Mountain bluebird populations are struggling,” Hewitt said. “The girls found that cowbirds actually swap out eggs with the bluebirds, and the bluebirds unknowingly hatch the wrong offspring.”
The troop built birdhouses with entrances too small for the cowbirds to prevent that from happening, and IDFG suggested that they install them near McArthur Lake due to the recent thinning, along with another site near Boundary Creek.
Trop 1806 holds their homemade birdhouses for bluebirds
Hewitt’s daughter Allison, 14, and fellow troop members camped in the area and with help from IDFG installed 18 birdhouses. This project will earn them their Silver Awards, which is one step away from the Gold Award, comparable to the Eagle Award for Scouts BSA.
POCATELLO – Preliminary work on the Idaho Transportation Department’s project to rebuild the I-86/I-15 System Interchange is beginning this week. Originally built sixty years ago, the design needs to be updated to handle greater traffic volumes and to replace aging bridges that are reaching the end of their life. Joint venture contractors Sundt-Cannon is expected to begin moving equipment into the project area before the end of the week.
The scale of the endeavor is truly historic and took years to bring to fruition. When completed, approximately 900,000 cubic yards of excavation will be completed. In addition, about 225,000 tons of base material will be brought in; 111,000 tons of asphalt will be placed; and over 6,500 cubic yards of concreate will be poured. 70,000 square feet of retaining walls will also be built throughout the project area. Finally, ITD will build eight new bridges. Four of those will use precast concrete girders and four will have steel girders. In all, nearly 5,000,000 pounds of steel will be used in the bridges. Crews will work year-round for approximately three years to complete the project.
The two most significant changes motorists will see during construction are a detour for traffic travelling from I-15 northbound to I-86 westbound and the closure of the Chubbuck Road overpass.
In early August, northbound traffic from I-15 exiting west toward Chubbuck will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange and back onto I-15 South to then proceed to I-86 West. To maintain traffic for the anticipated 2-year construction of the project, the ramp will need to be lowered prior to beginning bridge construction. This necessitates the ramp closure and detour through the Northgate Interchange. This work should be completed by early September.
The Chubbuck Road overpass will be closed around August 1st, prior to the beginning of the school year, and will remain closed during the duration of the project. Construction will remove the existing bridge, excavate new embankments, and create bridges for I-15 to pass over Chubbuck Road. The final Chubbuck Road design will be easier and safer to navigate for motorists, bicyclist, and pedestrians. During construction motorists will be detoured through the Northgate interchange.
During the first phase of construction traffic from northbound I-15 intending to travel west will be detoured through the Northgate interchange.
While demolition of the Chubbuck Road overpass will not begin immediately, an important concern for the school district and other interested parties was altering bus routes and student driving routes after the beginning of the school year. This could cause unnecessary delays and confusion for buses, faculty, parents, and students.
“The school district had some real concerns about making a change during the school year and we are doing what we can to accommodate them for the safety of the students and smooth operation of the schools,” said project co-manager Zak Johnson.
The $112 million project to rebuild the system interchange is a massive undertaking that requires extensive coordination with many different parties. ITD has been in close contact with city leaders, ISP, the Bannock County Sheriff’s office, emergency response, schools, regional transit, and others to ensure the safety of Idaho citizens and motorists passing through Southeast Idaho.
An important question some in the community express is, why now?
“The aging bridges will continue to get closer and closer to the end of their design lifespan,” said project co-manager Greg Roberts, “They would still be functional, but weight limits would start to have to be imposed on truck traffic. That would negatively impact Pocatello’s economic future.”
That is an important concern for Idaho businesses. Large loads, called “mega-loads”, travel through the Gate City to Montana and west to other regions of Southern Idaho. Local manufacturing companies need to be able to move their products to their customers quickly and safely.
However, it is not just the age of the 1960’s bridges that is a concern. When the System Interchange was built there was almost no development on the east side of I-15. Today the Highland area has subdivisions, a high school, the fairgrounds, and the Wellness Complex. In addition, development at Northgate has begun and will result in even more traffic.
“We can only expect traffic volume to increase and with it congestion,” said Roberts. “That will cause the ‘weave’ between the Pocatello Creek onramp and the Chubbuck exit to get worse. Traffic entering, I-15 intending to head toward Chubbuck already has difficulty during peak times crossing all the way to the left to head west on I-86.”
The issue for drivers now is finding a gap to slip into so they can head west toward Chubbuck.
“That will only get worse if we do nothing,” added Johnson, “Gaps between cars will become smaller and smaller making it more difficult to safely merge. Drivers will be forced to make more aggressive lane changes to head to Chubbuck. That kind of situation increases collisions. We don’t want to wait until things become dangerous and people get hurt.”
Safety is a primary concern for project managers and the contractors as motorists prepare to drive through the work site. “These are our neighbors and family working out there,” said Roberts. “We do everything we can to make the worksite safe, but it’s really important that drivers follow posted speed limits, watch for lane changes and signs, and give other motorists space on the road.”
The Chubbuck Road detour will take motorists through the Northgate Interchange.
Both Roberts and Johnson have seen severe worksite accidents caused by inattentive drivers. In one instance a motorist followed a work truck directly into the work site. Unfortunately, deaths do occur and it is often the result of a motorist that do not take care in a work zone.
“It’s something that never leaves you,” said Johnson as he reflected on a fatality on a previous project. “We do everything we can to keep people safe, but when it happens it’s hard not to take it personally. We just ask everyone to please keep themselves, their families, and their neighbors safe while this project is being completed.”
Once completed, the new System Interchange will be safer and ready to carry the increased traffic volumes for the fastest growing state in America.
This project is partially funded with Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds as part of Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. The 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.
This video describes how the new interchange will work and improve mobility and safety for the public – https://youtu.be/KRdVBAyXweA
The new design changes Chubbuck Road into an underpass with additional space for pedestrians and bicycle lanes.Vehicles travelling northbound from Pocatello Creek Road will merge with I-86 traffic on a new ramp. Both lanes will then meet with I-15 northbound traffic near Chubbuck Road.
When completed, westbound traffic from Pocatello Creek Road will pass under I-15 to merge with I-86.
BOISE – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced the immediate availability of $3 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief (ER) funds to help the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) repair roads and bridges damaged by recent floods.
“The emergency funding we’re announcing today will help the people of Idaho recover from these devastating floods and safely reopen their roads and bridges as quickly as possible,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Extreme moisture, runoff and flooding occurred following the heavy rains in NezPerce and Idaho counties causing significant damage, as well as creating dangerous travel conditions in the North Central and Northeast regions of the state beginning June 10, 2022. Numerous roadways in the area were obstructed from the flooding. Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a disaster declaration on June 22 to assist with response and repair efforts.
“Today’s funding represents a down payment on our federal commitment to ensuring roads and bridges in Idaho damaged by the flooding are repaired as quickly as possible,” said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. “The flooding has interrupted daily life in communities in the region, and we hope that by restoring vital transportation links people can regain a sense of normalcy.”
Initial flooding closed the northbound lane of US-95 four miles south of Lapwai. Crews worked diligently to reopen two lanes with an asphalt surface as soon as possible and committed to start refocusing on more permanent repairs later this summer.
These “quick release” funds will go toward emergency repair work and operations to maintain traffic flow throughout the disaster. Damaged roads include US-95, Gifford-Reubens Road, Southwick Road and Webb Road in Nez Perce County as well as Toll/Clear Creek Road in Idaho County.
FHWA’s ER program provides funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. These funds are an initial installment of funds used to restore essential traffic and to limit further highway damage, which can help long-term repair work begin more quickly.
The funding announced today adds to the more than $70 million recently provided to the Montana Department of Transportation, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service for Yellowstone National Park and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service for Custer Gallatin National Forest to repair flood damage.
ASHTON – As part of the construction work at the intersection of US-20 and SH-47 in Ashton, the contractor will be blasting rock under the roadway. The blasting operation will occur periodically between July 15 and July 19 in the closed portion of the roadway.
There will be traffic control flaggers on US-20 and SH-47 to manage traffic during these operations.
Motorists should anticipate longer than normal delays during this time. ITD asks all drivers to watch for equipment and workers, follow all traffic signs and flaggers, and reduce speeds to posted limits. It is essential during this operation that motorists keep themselves and workers safe.
The US-20 / SH-47 intersection project consists of a stoplight, new curb and sidewalks, storm sewer work, and pavement. Work is scheduled to be completed in October.
Questions can be directed to HK Contractors at (208) 523-6600.
Work is expected to restart next Friday (July 15) on a highway rehabilitation project in Lincoln County. Approximately six miles of U.S. Highway 93/U.S. Highway 26 from Marley Road to Jim Byrne Slough (milepost 177.5-182.8) will undergo construction to improve both the safety and driving experience for motorists in the area.
“Earlier this year, before water was flowing in the irrigation system, crews replaced irrigation structures along the roadway,” said ITD Project Manager Tom Logan. “Upcoming work will address the surface of the roadway.”
Construction this month will start with the removal of rock knobs along the highway in three areas south of Richfield.
“Removal of rock will even out the hilly profile of the roadway,” Logan explained. “This will increase sight distance for motorists and improve safety.”
While this earthwork occurs, traffic will be reduced to a single lane. Temporary traffic signals will be in place and motorists should anticipate 4-5 minute delays when traveling through the area.
The last phase of construction will involve milling and repaving the existing surface of the highway. During that portion of work, pilot cars and flaggers will be present to direct motorists during working hours – Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Western Construction is the primary contractor on this project that is expected to be complete late summer.
Law enforcement will reduce speeds and temporarily block access to eastbound Interstate 84 between Nampa and Mountain Home Sunday, July 10 for the Idaho Patriot Thunder motorcycle ride. Up to 1,200 motorcyclists are expected to participate in the annual event.
The organized procession, escorted by Idaho State Police (ISP), will enter I-84 at Eagle Road (Exit 46) starting at 11 a.m. Prior to that start time, ISP will begin to slow eastbound I-84 traffic in Nampa at Northside Boulevard and restrict vehicles from entering the interstate.
As the group of riders approaches each eastbound on- and off-ramp, drivers will not be allowed to enter, join, or pass the motorcycle procession. Surface streets may also experience congestion as the procession passes.
ISP and multiple local law enforcement agencies within Canyon, Ada, and Elmore counties will monitor traffic conditions and I-84 access at the following interchanges prior to, during, and after the ride concludes in Mountain Home at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Temporarily blocked on-ramps include: Franklin Boulevard, Garrity Boulevard, Ten Mile Road, Meridian Road, Eagle Road, Franklin Road/Milwaukee Street, the I-184 Wye, Cole Road/Overland Road, Orchard Street, Vista Avenue, Broadway Avenue, Gowen Road, Eisenman Road, East Boise Rest Area, Blacks Creek Road, East Boise Port of Entry, Mayfield Road, Simco Road, I-84B/Old U.S. 30 Exit 90, and Exit 95 in Mountain Home.
Eastbound I-84 travelers should plan for short delays to allow the motorcyclists to safely ride along the interstate. The ride will end at Carl Miller Park in Mountain Home, and regular traffic flow will then resume. The Idaho Patriot Thunder Ride benefits the Idaho Guard & Reserve Family Support Fund and Operation Warm Heart. For more information, click here for the registration website.
Two resurfacing projects will begin this July on several miles of Interstate 90 near Fourth of July and Lookout passes, with the first set to start Monday.
Paving between Wallace and Mullan will start next week and is scheduled to take until September, with traffic reduced to one lane in each direction. Crews will add an 85-foot-long wall and fencing at milepost 67 to protect drivers from potential rockfall.
These improvements were added to the project after boulders fell down a steep chute onto the freeway during two separate events in June and November of 2020. The project was originally scheduled to be constructed in 2024 but was advanced to this summer with funds from Governor Brad Little’s “Leading Idaho” investment, which includes a one-time transfer from the state’s budget surplus of $126 million dedicated in 2021 by the Idaho Legislature.
The bottom of Fourth of July Pass will also undergo construction as part of a different project starting in late July. Work this year will focus on improving the driving surface four miles east of the pass, and concrete barrier will be installed in the median next spring to prevent head-on crashes. While work is underway, one lane in each direction will be closed.
For both work zones, all traffic will eventually be crossed over to run on one set of lanes and will be divided by cones rather than a median.
Other work zones on I-90 include bridge replacements in Kellogg and a range of smaller projects to address bridges, concrete barrier and ramps. Drivers should plan extra time for commuting and check 511.idaho.gov for traffic conditions and restrictions on up to seven planned work zones east of CDA this summer.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) invites the public to an open house this month for two adjacent projects in Canyon County. Design plans will be shared for improvements to the Interstate 84, Karcher Interchange and several miles of State Highway 55 west of the interchange.
“These two projects are part of ITD’s ongoing work to address growth and the resulting congestion on highways in Canyon County, particularly State Highway 55,” said project manager Erika Bowen. “ITD is targeting the most urgent needs in this area while continuing to plan for long-term solutions.”
The I-84, Karcher Interchange project includes widening the interchange bridge and adding a new westbound lane across the interchange to Caldwell Boulevard. Several improvements are also planned on the interchange ramps, signals, and intersections. Details are available at itdprojects.org/karcheric.
The SH-55, Farmway Road to Middleton Road project will widen SH-55 to two lanes in each direction in the busy area between Farmway and Middleton roads. More information is on the project website at itdprojects.org/state-highway-55-farmway-to-middleton-road/.
Once construction funding has been confirmed, work on the Karcher Interchange could begin as early as 2023, and the widening of SH-55 could start in 2024.
Funding for this design stage of both projects comes from the Leading Idaho Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation Program. The program allows ITD to build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise take many years to build.
A Spanish interpreter will be present at the July 7 open house. Community members can also request written materials in Spanish by calling (208) 334-8002.
