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.
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!
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.
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.”
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.
Work is expected to begin Wednesday, March 9, to build the next 2.3 miles of a new passing lane for southbound drivers on US-95 between Culdesac and Winchester.
Construction will begin with tree removal and excavation east of the highway.
“Some blasting is planned to make room for the extra lane and will start once we dig down to solid rock,” Resident Engineer Curtis Arnzen said. “That will likely happen in the spring, though we don’t have a good date yet. Generally drivers should expect that all traffic could be stopped in both directions for up to 15 minutes at a time through construction.”
Once scheduled, blasts will be timed to avoid peak travel times and will typically require a one-hour closure.
Crews will also replace the culvert for Rock Creek. For most of construction, drivers can expect all existing lanes to remain open. The contractor may reduce the highway to one lane at night.
“Impacts this year will be very similar to the project we completed in 2020 that added three miles of passing lane just south of this area,” Arnzen said. “This is part of a corridor-wide plan to finish building an 11-mile passing lane in Culdesac Canyon to provide safer opportunities for drivers to pass.”
Drivers should pay attention to signs in the work zone to learn about the timing of the next blast or check 511.idaho.gov. Construction is scheduled to end by early November.
*Updated March 3 to show that the start date is dependent on weather. Less precipitation and warmer temperatures will be needed to begin work, and based on the current forecast, the start date will likely shift to March 14. Check 511 as we get closer to construction to confirm.
The Idaho Transportation Department will begin replacement of the Interstate 90 overpasses at Division Street and Elizabeth Park Road next week to improve safety.
Construction is anticipated to start Monday, March 7, with traffic on I-90 restricted to one lane in each direction at all times. Work is expected to take two seasons, with each season starting in March and lasting through October. All lanes will be open during the winter between construction seasons.
The project also includes widening the eastbound on-ramp at Division Street and repaving both streets under the overpasses.
Map of two interchanges to be replaced in Kellogg
Motorists should plan for the following impacts:
Division Street:
Both lanes will be open under the I-90 overpass with minimal closures as needed.
On-street parking under the overpass will not be allowed.
Sidewalks will be closed under I-90 with a signed pedestrian detour.
Ramp work will take place in the shoulders with minimal impacts to drivers.
Elizabeth Park Road:
Drivers can expect one-way alternating traffic controlled by temporary traffic signals on Elizabeth Park Road under I-90.
Elizabeth Park Road will be closed for several nights each construction season as crews demolish each structure before building a new one. Digital message boards will provide warnings at least one week in advance of any road closures as a detour is not available and will not be posted.
Drivers will also encounter several other work zones on I-90 later this summer.
Four miles east of the bottom of Fourth of July Pass will be repaved, and barrier will be installed to prevent head-on crashes on the freeway. A contractor is not on board yet, but work is expected to take place between June and October with one lane in each direction closed.
One westbound lane will be closed at the Golconda interchange starting in April or May as the bridge is repaired. Repairs would take through September to complete.
Repairs to concrete barrier between Mullan and Montana are expected to start in April or May and require single-lane closures in one direction at a time.
The worst ramps in Shoshone County will be repaved this summer, with work starting as early as May. As ramps are resurfaced, they will be closed for about a day each. All work is scheduled to take about six weeks.
Paving between Wallace and Mullan is scheduled to begin in June and take until September, with traffic reduced to one lane in each direction.
Travelers should check 511.idaho.gov to learn about traffic impacts before driving.
The Idaho Transportation Department will partially close State Highway 3 north of St. Maries to prepare for spring construction. Unless winter weather causes a delay, the closure will start on Monday, Feb. 28, and continue for two weeks.
“If the forecast changes, we’ll have to push our closure to the following week,” Project Manager Matt Heinichen said. “Drivers should pay attention to signs in the area and 511.idaho.gov for exact timing.”
The plan is to close at least one lane of the highway from milepost 89.9 to milepost 92.5, with traffic detoured onto Goosehaven Road. During the closure, crews will remove vegetation along three miles of highway to make room for widening this spring.
“We may close both lanes on SH-3 and detour all traffic for up to five days in this two-week window so we can test the detour we expect to have in place for when we start the widening effort,” Heinichen said. “We want to determine if the county road will be able to support two-way traffic during construction.”
Widening is scheduled to begin in late April and take three months to complete. Closing the highway completely and using Goosehaven Road as a detour will expedite the project.
Plans call for the highway to be widened by 11 feet to the east, making room for 11-foot travel lanes and 3-foot shoulders. No additional lanes will be added. To get this extra width, a lightweight, specialized product known as geofoam will be used.
Traditionally, highways are expanded by importing embankment material and building the base outwards, but SH-3 was built on soft soils. Extra weight would collapse the soft soils and cause settlement problems for the highway, and expanding outwards would affect nearby wetlands. The geofoam will allow expansion without adding weight or requiring land to be bought.
BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Board voted to accelerate the improvement of several major roadways during its regular monthly meeting Thursday (Feb. 17) in Boise. The projects selected for construction starting this summer will modernize aging infrastructure, improve safety and reduce congestion:
I-86/I-15 System Interchange in Pocatello/Chubbuck;
I-90 and State Highway 41 (SH-41) Interchange in Post Falls;
State Highway 16 (SH-16) from Interstate 84 to Chinden Boulevard; and
U.S. 20/26 from Interstate 84 to Middleton Road in the Treasure Valley.
To address the state’s rapid growth, the Idaho Legislature passed a historic transportation revenue package last May signed by Governor Brad Little as part of his “Leading Idaho” initiative. The funding is already being used for the planning and design of several projects. The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will accelerate bond-funded construction projects this spring.
“Idaho is the fastest growing state in the nation. To keep up with the demands of growth, these funds will help save Idahoans’ time, keep us safe on our roads, and make our state’s economy even stronger,” Governor Brad Little said. “I appreciate the work of the Idaho Transportation Board, the department and the Legislature for acting quickly to put this money to work with projects that will benefit the state.”
Board Chairman Bill Moad is pleased with how fast ITD has designed and advanced projects for construction – less than a year after the funding was approved.
“The Transportation Board wants the department to take advantage of funding opportunities to accelerate projects,” said Moad. “It’s our goal to put this money to work as quickly as possible to increase safety, improve mobility and create economic opportunity for every Idahoan.”
Last year’s legislation increased the transfers to $80 million dollars a year into the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) fund that was created in 2017. Leveraging these TECM funds as debt service on bonds could yield as much as $1.6 billion of improvements statewide.
This bond issuance will be for up to $325 million in funding. It will be the first of several TECM bond sales. Projects selected for future TECM dollars will come from 13 corridors the board is targeting across the state.
Below are details on the construction projects approved by the board today:
I-90/SH-41 Proposed Interchange
I-86/I-15 System Interchange ($115.5 million): Improvements to modernize the I-86/I-15 System Interchange in the Pocatello/Chubbuck area will involve road, ramp and bridge upgrades at the junction of the two interstates, along with building a new separated pedestrian/bicycle path. This project will replace aging bridges within this interchange and modernize the roadway to improve safety and traffic flow.
I-90 and SH-41 Interchange ($82.5 million): The I-90 and SH-41 interchange in Post Falls will be upgraded to a new design that will be safer and will reduce congestion. The I-90 westbound off-ramp will no longer curve, and the ramps will come together and be controlled by one signal at a single-point urban interchange. This will resolve major congestion and safety issues that drivers experience.
SH-16 Intersection with US-20/26
SH-16, I-84 to U.S. 20/26 ($129 million): SH-16 is a new corridor that will be two lanes in each direction between I-84 and U.S. 20/26. This project will greatly improve mobility and address growth concerns by providing a much needed north/south freeway in the heart of the Treasure Valley.
U.S. 20/26, I-84 to Middleton Road ($41 million): Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26) will be widened to four lanes between I-84 and Middleton Road starting this summer, and design is underway to widen the remainder between Middleton Road and Star Road to four lanes. Within the next few years the entire corridor will provide a much needed east/west connection across the heart of the Treasure Valley improving safety and increasing mobility.
Along with the construction projects listed above, the Transportation Board approved bond funds for several planning and design projects, including I-84, Centennial Interchange to Franklin Interchange, SH-55 Farmway to Middleton Rd. and I-84, Burley and Heyburn Interchanges.
Visit the TECM website to see regional maps and read more information on the Leading Idaho corridors.
A blast is scheduled tomorrow at 1 p.m. as part of efforts to expand US-95 over Granite Hill north of Athol. All traffic will be stopped during the blast, with delays expected to be under 30 minutes.
Blasting will make room for a new frontage road called Vintage Road to the west and will continue throughout the final season of work, with several blasts possible each month.
Starting in early March, crews will mobilize into the work zone to rebuild US-95 to four lanes over Granite Hill and finish Vintage Road. Additional lanes over Granite Hill will provide better mobility, and frontage roads will improve safety by routing drivers to improved intersections to enter US-95.
Both routes are expected to open by August, though construction is expected to last through October.
Once Vintage Road opens, Homestead Road and Williams Lane will lose direct access to US-95 and will instead use the frontage road to access the highway.
Construction in the area began last spring, with the first season of work producing Mineral Ridge, the road traffic currently travels on through the work zone and what will serve as the frontage road to the east after the project is complete.
