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Dependent on weather, drivers can expect lane restrictions and possible delays near Twin Falls next week as crews from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) perform routine bi-annual inspections on the Perrine Bridge.

From Monday, September 14 through Friday, September 18 crews will walk the arch and deploy ITD’s under-bridge inspection truck along the bridge deck.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane in either direction while crew members are utilizing the inspection truck. Work will occur at non-peak hours to help lessen traffic congestion through the area and is expected to following the below schedule:

– Northbound Right Lane Closure: Monday – Tuesday, 8:15 am to 3 pm
– Southbound Right Lane Closure: Wednesday – Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm

Short duration (15 minute) single lane closures will also occur each day in the left northbound lane when workers access and exit the lower half of the structure.

Motorists may consider using an alternate route between the hours listed above.

Drivers are urged to exercise caution near the work zone and watch for crew members and equipment. ITD appreciates the patience and cooperation of those driving through the area.

Starting Tuesday, September 8, work to resurface the interstate from Blue Creek Bay to the bottom of the Fourth of July Pass will once again extend the existing work zone at the bridges over the bay.

Only the westbound lanes will be repaved as the eastbound lanes were finished in June.

“The pavement on this section of I-90 is in poor condition,” said Kyle Schrader, the project manager for paving. “We were able to shift some tasks to nighttime hours and get the ramps done, so this time drivers will only need to plan for a longer work zone and not ramp closures.”

The paving project is expected to last two weeks, and crews on the bridge project will be working to install temporary joints and finish the driving surface until late September.

“We know construction has impacted many travelers on their way to the river or lake, so we’d like to let everyone know that we are in the final stages of work planned for this year,” said Ryan Hawkins, the project manager for the bridge repairs.

A follow-up project to replace the temporary joints with permanent joints has not been programmed yet but is expected in the next few years.

The signal at Idaho Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue has been damaged by a crash and is no longer functional. Crews are on site to flag the intersection and assess the damage.

Drivers should seek alternate routes and check 511.idaho.gov for updates.

As part of ongoing work to enhance safety and traffic flow on US-95 in Coeur d’Alene and Hayden, several changes to traffic signals will be made this week.

The medians at Canfield Avenue and Wilbur Avenue will be closed tonight after 7 p.m. as crews take down the Canfield Avenue signal and turn on the Wilbur Avenue signal.

“These changes will help with the flow of traffic by creating consistent spacing between signals,” Project Manager Carrie Ann Hewitt said. “Currently, the signals are spaced too closely, causing issues when traffic at one intersection backs up into the next.”

Radar detection devices at the Wilbur Avenue signal will be installed tomorrow, and the signal will be connected with others in the corridor next week.

“Until those final connections are made and drivers adjust to the new configuration, delays should be expected on this route,” Hewitt said.

The median at Canfield Avenue will remain closed for the next two weeks as curbing is constructed to prevent drivers on the side street from turning left on to the highway or crossing it. Drivers may make these movements at other signalized intersections, usually about one-quarter mile away.

Before construction ends in late September, a new signal at Miles Avenue will be installed, and turn lanes at Hanley Avenue will be removed and repaved to meet quality specifications.

“Combined with the additional turn lanes and access modifications that are also part of this project, these changes will save time for thousands of drivers who use the highway every day,” Hewitt said.

BOISE – Commerce within Idaho has been improved as restrictions to most legal loads have been reduced for the 538-mile stretch of US-95 within Idaho, which travels through 13 counties from the Oregon Border north to the Canadian Border. This is the result of a multi-year effort by the Idaho Transportation Board, based on information from industry leaders on the need to allow greater ease of commerce on the highway.

US-95 is the state’s primary north-south route, and was established as one of the country’s first national highways in 1926.

Recent improvements to the highway, particularly between Council and Grangeville, have resulted in a reduction of restrictions to the route. Because of those improvements, the highway will now allow up to 53-foot trailers without a permit and permitted vehicle combinations up to 115 feet in overall length, with a 6.5-foot off tracking and weight limit of up to 129,000 lbs.

“These improvements allow all of US-95 to have the same legal and permitted requirements from one section to the next, thus increasing the safety, mobility and economic opportunity for commercial vehicles specifically, and all motorists in general,” said Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Bill Moad.

Previously, permitted vehicle combinations were only allowed in loads up to 95 feet long and a 5.5-foot off track — a 21% increase in allowable length and 18% increase in allowable off-tracking — allowing more freedom in the movement or goods and services while also maintaining a safe roadway.

Off-tracking refers to the different paths that the front and rear wheels take when cornering. The rear or trailer wheels will take a shorter path around the curve, corner or turn. Thus, the driver has to compensate for this by taking the curve, corner or turn wider. So, the 6.5-foot off-track is the difference in the path of the first inside front wheel and of the last inside rear wheel as the vehicle negotiates a curve.

As early as Monday (August 24), traffic will shift on Interstate 84/86 at the Salt Lake Interchange project. Motorists traveling from Utah toward Burley on I-84 will now be routed underneath the newly built bridge structures.

“This is a different traffic pattern than what we have had in place for the duration of this project,” ITD Project Manager Travis Hitchcock said. “It is important that drivers traveling through the area pay close attention to signage and message boards that will be in place to safely direct them through the area.”

Traffic will remain reduced to a single lane in each direction, and the turn offs toward Salt Lake City from eastbound I-84 will remain the same.

This project is scheduled to finish by late 2020.

Drivers should still anticipate reduced speeds through the work zone and watch for crews and heavy equipment.

Wadsworth Brothers Construction, of Draper, Utah is the prime contractor on this project.

Drivers can expect overnight lane restrictions near Twin Falls next week as crews perform specialized inspections of the Perrine Bridge.

On Monday and Tuesday of next week (August 24-25), single lane closures will occur on the bridge to allow inspections on the bridge deck.

Work is scheduled during evening and nighttime hours to help reduce traffic congestion through the area. Drivers may consider using an alternate route between the hours of 8 pm to 5 am.

On Wednesday (August 26) a short duration (15 minute) single lane closure will occur in the left northbound lane at approximately 9:30 am as crews access the lower half of the structure. Another short duration closure will occur in the afternoon once inspections are complete.

“The Perrine Bridge is a unique structure that plays a vital role in the region,” stated ITD South-central Idaho Operations Manager Seth Helms. “Routine and specialized inspections are performed regularly to assess the bridge and ensure the longevity of the structure.”

Motorists are urged to exercise caution near the work zone and watch for crew members and equipment. ITD appreciates the patience and cooperation of those driving through the area.