IDAHO – National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) will be observed April 11-15 with this year’s theme of “Work Zones are a Sign to Slow Down.” The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is asking motorists to observe NWZAW and prepare to safely drive through work zones across Idaho.
As part of NWZAW, Idahoans are encouraged
to participate in Go Orange Day on April 13 by wearing orange as a visual reminder of work zones. Photos can be posted on social media using the hashtags #NWZAW and #GoOrange4Safety.
The awareness week ends with a moment of silence on April 15 for people killed in work zone incidents.
Statistics from the National Work Zone Safety
Information Clearinghouse demonstrate the importance of work zone safety and participating in NWZAW to spread the message that everyone has a role in getting roadway workers home safely.
There were 762 fatal crashes in work zones resulting in 842 deaths in 2019.
Of the 842 fatalities in 2019, 135 were roadway workers.
Most people killed in work zones were motorists, passengers, and pedestrians.
NWZAW has been observed for more than 20 years and was launched as a public awareness campaign to help everyone understand they play a role in keeping motorists and roadway workers safe.
As construction season kicks off around the state, it’s important for drivers to remember that work zones come in all shapes and sizes. They can be long or short duration and can occur anywhere, from the middle of a large city to even the most rural routes. ITD encourages all motorists to plan ahead, follow signs, and drive engaged each time they get behind the wheel.
This National Work Zone Awareness Week, ITD would like to remind drivers how to be safe in work zones.
Work zones aren’t just limited to the primary construction season – they can pop up at moment’s notice and times you wouldn’t expect to see them.
That was the case on January 15 when D1 operator Jed Henderson was dispatched to I-90 near Kellogg to fill in potholes.
“It was early evening and in the winter, so it was still dark out. The potholes were about 8 inches deep, and we needed to fix them,” Henderson said.
They were so deep that Henderson brought the mix to the site in the bucket of the loader so he could shovel it into the holes.
Ten minutes later and Henderson was cleaning up material on the shoulder when a driver blew past other equipment and ran into one of the tires on the loader.
The car then went sideways and was impacted by another car.
“We were lucky no one was hurt,” Henderson said. “Just minutes before we had been standing in that spot.”
Strapped in the seat of a 55,000-pound loader, Henderson said he barely felt the collision – but it has changed how he approaches the job.
Henderson stands by a loader
“You spend every week working next to 70 mph traffic and you almost get used to it,” Henderson said. “You think it won’t happen to you and then it does.”
Idaho State Police investigated the incident and cited the driver for driving under the influence, which as a first-time offense is a misdemeanor with a penalty of a $1,000 fine and a one-year license suspension.
Next week work will impact Goosehaven Road near St. Maries as crews prepare to start construction of a safety project on State Highway 3.
Starting Monday, April 18, the Idaho Transportation Department will improve Goosehaven Road by adding more material and then leveling the route so it may serve as a detour for construction on SH-3 this summer.
“That week drivers should prepare for delays on Goosehaven Road but not on SH-3,” Project Manager Matt Heinichen said. “We will also apply material to minimize dust created while traffic uses the detour.”
Major construction to widen three miles of SH-3 will begin the following week and take three months to complete. Weather may affect the schedule, so drivers should pay attention to signs in the area and check 511.idaho.gov for exact timing.
“Closing the highway completely will allow us to expedite construction,” Heinichen said. “We have been working with the county to minimize impacts, and this detour is critical to getting the work done.”
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. Guardrail will be installed along the east side.
The Idaho Transportation Department will hold an open house on Thursday, April 7 to share construction plans for the widening of State Highway 44 in Ada County. Community members are invited to drop in between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Eagle Christian Church – Central Valley on 100 Short Lane, Eagle, Idaho 83616.
ITD representatives will be available to discuss the final design and construction plans and answer questions. Display boards and visuals will also help attendees learn more about the project. The same materials will be posted for viewing online at itdprojects.org/SH4416toLinder from April 7 to 14, for those unable to attend in person.
Work includes widening SH-44 from three to five lanes between SH-16 and Linder Road to improve safety and traffic capacity. Shoulders will also be widened and dedicated right turn lanes will be added at major side streets.
Construction is expected to begin in May and wrap up by this August.
SH-44 is the only east-west highway north of the Boise River linking Canyon County to Ada County. It connects Caldwell, Middleton, Star, Eagle, and Garden City. The large amount of growth in the area has transformed this once rural corridor.
Work is expected to begin next week on State Highway 75 north of Hailey. This is the second phase of a larger project that started in March with updates to pedestrian ramps and reconstruction of a section of the roadway near the Big Wood River Bridge.
During the coming months, crews will rehabilitate SH-75 from Cobblestone Lane to Timber Way. Changes in striping will also occur to improve the crosswalk alignment at East Fork Road and the intersection layout at SH-75 and Ohio Gulch Road/Starweather Drive. Motorists turning left from Ohio Gulch Road will have a protected acceleration lane once the striping is complete.
While work is underway, lane restrictions will be in place. Detours will also be necessary for a portion of the project.
“When work occurs between McKercher Boulevard and milepost 120, traffic will be detoured onto Buttercup Road,” explained ITD Project Manager Brock Dillé. “We anticipate this detour to begin in late April and last for approximately two weeks.”
Signs will be present to direct motorists through the work zone. Drivers are encouraged to plan for extra time when traveling through the area and watch for workers and heavy equipment entering and exiting the highway.
“We will be working to minimize impacts throughout this project and appreciate the patience of motorists as they travel through the area,” said Dillé.
Western Construction is the primary contractor on this project which is expected to be completed in May.
Several bridges in the Coeur d’Alene area will be repaired this summer, with work scheduled to begin first on the US-95 bridge over Northwest Boulevard.
Construction will start Monday, April 4, to paint the steel railing and remove and replace the surface of the US-95 structure. During the two months of work, southbound drivers will not be able to use the left turn lane on the bridge to access downtown via Northwest Boulevard.
As part of this project, other bridges will also be improved this season:
Starting in early May, crews will close one lane of the bridge on Potlatch Hill Road where it crosses over Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive and provides access to the Terraces at Lake Coeur d’Alene. Temporary signals will be in place for one month to control one lane of traffic.
Starting in June, Seventh Street over I-90 will close, and traffic will be detoured to Ninth Street for one month.
Starting in early July, the bridge on I-90 over Wolf Lodge Creek will be sealed to prevent damage from weather. Crews will close one lane in each direction for one month.
Starting in late July, crews will close one lane in each direction on the Greensferry Road overpass in Post Falls for a few days as they work on joints that allow the bridge to expand and contract with the weather.
Impacts will vary by bridge and by type of work, with some work zones scheduled to be in place for a few days to a few months.
Later this summer, a different project will also address repairs to another six bridges in the Coeur d’Alene area, including the Spokane River Bridge on US-95.
As more work zones begin to affect traffic, drivers should check 511.idaho.gov to plan their commutes.
A two-year project will begin Monday, April 4, to extend the three-lane section on U.S. Highway 95 from Alderson Lane to Labrosse Hill Street in Bonners Ferry.
Drivers can generally expect a lane to be open in each direction. Most work will take place during the day, with some night work and detours possible as intersections and driveways are improved.
The first year of work is expected to wrap up in October and will focus on US-95 from Alderson Lane to Eisenhower Street.
After this project ends in 2023, this section of highway will also feature wider shoulders, sidewalks on both sides, new lighting and updated drainage.
Construction from 2018 to 2020 built similar improvements from the Kootenai River Bridge to Alderson Lane. Learn more about this project at itdprojects.org/us95bonnersferry.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
