Preliminary work to begin next month on US-93/US-26 in Lincoln County

Image of US-93/US-26 construction zone near Richfield

The initial phase of construction is expected to occur in April on a two-phase project that will rehabilitate approximately six miles of U.S. Highway 93/U.S. Highway 26 from Marley Road to Jim Byrne Slough (milepost 177.5-182.8). This project will improve both the safety and driving experience for motorists in the area.“In the coming weeks, crews will replace irrigation structures along the roadway,” said ITD Project Manager Tom Logan. “This portion of work needs to occur early on in the project, before water is flowing through the irrigation system.”

Replacement of the irrigation structures is expected to last throughout the month of April.

While work is underway, traffic will be reduced to a single lane on the highway. Motorists are advised to watch for flaggers and plan for delays up to 10 minutes.

Once irrigation work is complete, there will be a break in the project until July, when crews will return to the area and proceed with resurfacing the roadway.

“During the second phase of construction, we will mill and repave the existing surface of the highway,” explained Logan. “We will also reconstruct the profile of the roadway in three areas to remove hills south of Richfield. This will increase sight distance for motorists and improve safety.”

Western Construction is the primary contractor on this project.

Work starts next week to replace two bridges on US-95 near Potlatch

This year the Idaho Transportation Department will replace two bridges on U.S. Highway 95 near Potlatch, with work set to begin Monday, March 28.

Replacement of the 1947 bridge over the Washington-Idaho Railroad will begin first, followed shortly by work on the 1939 bridge over Deep Creek. As part of this project, turn lanes will also be added at the junction of US-95 and SH-6, as well as US-95 and Kennedy Ford Road.

US-95: Potlatch Bridges Project Area — Map of the project on US-95 to replace two bridges near Potlatch

“This project involves a lot of work over a short stretch of highway, so we want drivers to plan extra time to get through the work zone,” Project Manager Marvin Ramirez said.

During construction, a lane in each direction will be open to traffic but motorists will not be able to pass. Temporary signals at the bridge over the railroad and the State Highway 6 intersection will control traffic through one-lane sections.

Drivers should check 511.idaho.gov for updated traffic impacts related to this and other projects in the region.

Replacement of these bridges is expected to be complete in November. Open meetings will be held at Potlatch City Hall every Wednesday at 10 a.m. during construction.

First of two US-93 pavement rehabilitation projects to begin next week in Twin Falls

Image of US-93/Pole Line Road in Twin Falls

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will resurface two sections of U.S. Highway 93 through Twin Falls this spring and summer.

Work is expected to begin the week of March 21 on Pole Line Road from Grandview Drive to Blue Lakes Boulevard to maintain the roadway, provide better traction and enhance safety for motorists.

Construction involves grinding the top layer of existing concrete, while placing small grooves in the pavement to improve traction on surfaces that have become slick over time from heavy traffic and winter weather.

During construction:

Work will occur overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to reduce impacts and congestion during commute hours for residents, businesses, and motorists.
During night work, lane reductions will be in place. All lanes will be open during daytime hours.
Access to businesses will be maintained but may be briefly limited when equipment moves in front of an intersection or driveway.
Construction will be noisy, including equipment and back up alarms.

This project is expected to be completed in May.

Upon completion of the first project, crews will proceed with rehabilitating and reconstructing the pavement on Blue Lakes Boulevard from the Perrine Bridge to Pole Line Road. Other improvements will include Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to pedestrian ramps and replacement of the traffic signal at the intersection of Blue Lakes Boulevard and Fillmore Street/Bridgeview Boulevard.

ITD will host an open house and online meeting in May to share more information about the second project.

To learn more about each project and sign up for construction updates, please visit itdprojects.org/projects/us-93improvements.

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 the Blue Lakes 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.

Culvert work on State Highway 52 west of Emmett starts March 23

The Idaho Transportation Department begins work Wednesday, March 23, on a culvert maintenance project along State Highway 52 west of Emmett.

SH-52 will be closed between Cascade Road and Toms Cabin Road while crews install a new culvert pipe. Drivers will detour around the project using West Idaho Boulevard north of the highway.

Signs will be in place to guide traffic through the detour. The project is expected to be complete by March 28. Please check 511.idaho.gov before traveling for up-to-date information about this and other projects impacting highways statewide.

ITD improves several truck routes in southeast Idaho to facilitate commerce and improve mobility

The Idaho Transportation Department recently removed restrictions on several popular trucking routes in southeast Idaho, another example of the department removing restrictions on routes within the Gem State in order to improve commerce and mobility, creating greater economic opportunities for commercial carriers. In 2020, the department removed some severe curves along US-95 in southwest and panhandle Idaho in pursuit of the same goal.

The department will be examining roads across the state and making improvements to eliminate restrictions whenever possible.

Three routes (two on SH-36 and one on SH-34) restricted the size of trucks that could use the routes, and the detour could be as severe as 150 miles. It was causing a major disruption in the economic opportunity and freedom of movement in the area.

ITD engineer Kevin Sonico modeled some proposed solutions, and the D5 office in Pocatello ran some field tests, traveling behind some larger commercial trucks to test the width variables that the computer models had suggested. Evan Snow and Jerry Bauer filmed Dan Daniels as he drove a truck on the routes. Kevin’s models were verified. A local trucker offered to run the route in his slightly larger truck as well. Again, the computer model was validated.

The change was implemented in May 2021, opening up more routes for the trucking community in the southeast Idaho area. This has eliminated significant detours, saving countless hours of drive time.

“We have seen an increase in trucks on the routes,” D5 District Engineer Todd Hubbard said. “We know the routes are safe and the carriers are ablr to take the best possible route to their destination. This change has saved significant time and money for the trucking industry.”

SH-55 project at Smiths Ferry to resume construction March 14

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will resume work on State Highway 55 between Smiths Ferry and the Rainbow Bridge on March 14.

Drivers can anticipate single-lane, alternating one-way traffic with 15-minute delays at the start of construction while crews are actively working. Four-hour closures from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday will not start until mid-April. ITD will advise the public prior to the closures beginning.

“We are going into spring with lessons learned from last year,” said Jason Brinkman, ITD engineering manager. “We have spent the past winter working with geotechnical experts and the project team to change designs based on new information gathered after studying the areas where slides occurred.”

In 2021, the project area experienced two rockslides that closed the roadway for about three weeks, and another smaller slide in January 2022 that closed the road for a few days. ITD brought in additional geotechnical experts and engineers are assisting with the reevaluation of the project.

To date, crews have removed over 160,000 cubic yards of materials in the project area.

The spring schedule is anticipated to continue through late May. For more information on the Smiths Ferry Project schedule and to sign up for updates, visit itdprojects.org/id55smithsferry.

ITD Director Ness Recognized by House and Senate for Service Excellence

The Idaho State House and Senate recently recognized Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Director Brian Ness by unanimously approving concurrent resolutions honoring his outstanding service to the State of Idaho and to its citizen taxpayers. Ness will retire in late May from ITD as the longest-serving director in the history of the department.

Ness and the organization were recognized for an innovative approach to management, creating an environment of accountability and transparency throughout the department that restored the trust of lawmakers. His stewardship of funding has led to many great accomplishments by employees throughout the state and made Idaho’s transportation system safer and more efficient.

Ness’ appreciation for employees has been felt throughout the department. He consistently gives employees the ability to make good decisions where they work, saving time and tax dollars. The director annually traveled the state to visit frontline ITD employees to hear about local issues affecting them and their communities.

Under Ness, ITD has earned more AASHTO President’s Transportation Awards than any state in the country — 20 of them during his time as director. The AASHTO Awards, from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, are considered the top honor that any department of transportation can achieve, and shows that Idaho stacks up favorably on the national scene.

The resolution honoring director Ness and the department was approved unanimously by the Idaho House and Senate, recognizing a job well done that will set a new standard for public service.

Watch the House and Senate proceedings. The comments made by legislators during these sessions are especially telling, and really get to the heart of why Director Ness has set the bar high and why ITD is on an upward path!

New machine to pick up trash on I-90 this spring

New trash machine working in the median of I-90

The Idaho Transportation Department will use a new machine this spring to pick up trash along Interstate 90 from Washington to Coeur d’Alene.

“Now that the snow has melted, everyone can see the ugly truth about how much garbage has been piling up all winter,” Operations Engineer Jerry Wilson said. “This year, we have already started our cleanup efforts and will use a new machine, once conditions allow, to do it more efficiently.”

The department invested in the machine to speed up the collection process. It only takes two operators: one to drive the machine, which uses metal teeth to comb through the grass, and another to haul the trash away in a dump truck.

“To do one mile by hand, it takes five operators working together for eight hours,” Wilson said. “With the machine, we can cut that down to two people working five hours and still cover the same distance.”

The machine works well in the flat areas in the median, which Adopt-A-Highway volunteers are typically encouraged to avoid for their own safety.

“We will continue to rely on volunteers through the Adopt-A-Highway program to help get this mess cleaned up,” Wilson said. “They are just as valuable to us as this new machine, and we are inspired by the effort they make every year to keep Idaho beautiful.”

In 2021, volunteers in North Idaho picked up 4,171 bags of litter or about 72.8 tons – enough to fill 18 garbage trucks.

“There’s always a lag time between when the snow melts and the trash gets picked up, but once the median gets less muddy, and we have the dump truck ready to go, you’ll see us out there using the new equipment,” Wilson said.

ITD’s first TECM Bonds rated exceptionally high by rating services Moody’s and Fitch

The $325M Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) highway bonds have earned very high ratings by the two major rating services. Fitch rated them at AA+ (the highest rating possible is AAA). The rating by Moody’s Investor Services is Aa1.

The bonds are expected to be sold later in March, if market conditions are favorable. The bonds will be handled by Idaho Housing and Finance Association, which also has handled the Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) bond sales for ITD during the last decade.

“This excellent rating really began three years ago when the authority to bond was put in to the code as part of the 2019 Legislative session,” explained ITD Controller Dave Tolman. “This reflects our efforts in regard to the TECM debt service fund, the continuing appropriations, the guaranteed amount of the sales tax transfer, and other approaches.”

“These ratings show the confidence in what has been developed in Idaho for this program. The structure provides a fixed amount of $80M from sales tax collections transferred to the TECM Fund. This rating has taken a lot of work by a team of folks and I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

Preliminary work begins on State Highway 75 in Blaine County

Image of State Highway 75 north of Hailey

Weather dependent, work is expected to begin next week (March 8) on State Highway 75 north of Hailey. Construction for this project will be divided into two phases with initial work focusing on updates to pedestrian ramps and reconstruction of a section of the roadway.

“The first phase of this project will take place over the coming month and involve the reconstruction of sidewalks and pedestrian ramps at McKercher Boulevard and E Fork Road to bring them into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards,” said ITD South-central Idaho Project Manager Brock Dillé. “We will also reconstruct a portion of SH-75 near the Big Wood River Bridge to improve ride quality.”

While work is underway, lane restrictions will be in place with signs present to direct motorists through the work zone.

Once initial work is complete, crews will transition to the second phase of construction, which will involve rehabilitation of SH-75 from Cobblestone Lane to Timber Way. Additional information regarding rehabilitation efforts and traffic impacts associated with the second phase will be provided closer to that work beginning.

“We advise drivers to use caution and watch for workers and heavy equipment when traveling through the work zone,” stated Dillé. “We will be working to minimize impacts throughout this project and appreciate the patience of motorists as they travel through the area.”

Western Construction is the primary contractor on this project which is expected to be completed in May.