Construction on I-84 in Jerome County to begin next week

Westbound Interstate 84 near Jerome, Idaho

Rehabilitation of the westbound lanes on Interstate 84 between Jerome and Twin Falls is expected to begin next Monday (May 11). Work will encompass approximately seven miles of highway (milepost 166 to 173) and provide a safer and smoother ride for motorists.

“Initial work will include construction of traffic crossovers and temporary ramps,” said ITD South-central Idaho Project Manager Brock Dillé. “Building a temporary ramp at Exit 173 will allow us to keep traffic moving without detouring motorists during construction.”

The first phase of the project is expected to last until July of this year. Once construction of crossovers and temporary ramps are complete, rehabilitation of the roadway will begin.

“This project was originally scheduled to begin in 2022,” said Dillé. “Due to efficiencies and cost-savings throughout the department, ITD was able to expedite this high priority route in order to provide a better highway for commercial and passenger vehicles two years earlier than anticipated.”

While construction is underway, traffic on this section of I-84 will be reduced to a single lane in each direction. Motorists should anticipate reduced speeds and watch for workers and heavy equipment throughout the work zone.

Rehabilitation of the westbound lanes is expected to be complete by the end of this year. Work on the eastbound lanes will begin in the spring of 2021.

The general contractor is Western Construction of Boise.

ITD DMV employees work from home to continue helping Idaho drivers

UPDATE: Star Card deadline is now May 7, 2025

U.S. Department of Homeland Security notice for REAL ID

Originally published 4/29/2020

Idaho Transportation Department Division of Motor Vehicles employees continue to work hard from home to help Idaho drivers.

During this COVID-19 emergency, DMV Customer Contact Center employees are dedicated to keep assisting Idahoans with their DMV concerns while maintaining safe social distancing protocols. More than 160 people are working from home, answering phone calls related to all aspects of DMV operations. That includes driver’s licenses, vehicle registration and titles, motor carrier registration and permits, and vehicle dealer support. These DMV employees are taking more than 1,000 calls a day from the public, and more than 800 a day from county DMV offices across the state.

“We are living in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. It’s crucial that when the public, counties, or law enforcement of Idaho needs us with questions or assistance we are there on the other end of the call,” said Beth Thompson, Driver Records Program Supervisor. “Behind the scenes, ITD DMV is doing almost the entirety of the work from home. Whether it be a simple change of address or a complex issue regarding a driver’s license and suspension.”

They’re also helping process license and registration renewals by mail, over the phone, and online. As Idaho prepares to reopen for business, county DMV offices are adjusting hours of operation and services. ITD encourages drivers to use the online customer portal at itd.idaho.gov/driveidaho to reduce crowds and keep wait times down.

More Idahoans than ever are now using the DMV’s expanded online services. Online vehicle registrations grew from 16,000 in February to 31,000 in March, and are expected to reach over 40,000 in April. Online driver’s license and ID renewals increased from 900 in February to 2,400 in March, with 7,000 estimated in April.

Online DMV services at itd.idaho.gov/driveidaho include:

Driver’s license renewal (not for first-time Star Card)
Acquiring a replacement driver’s license or identification card
Paying driver’s license reinstatement fees
Purchasing a driving record
Vehicle registration renewal
Ordering personalized license plates
Checking status of vehicle plates and titles
Commercial vehicle oversize/overweight permits
Commercial vehicle registrations

The DMV has issued a 90-day extension on some credentials expiring between March 1 and May 31, 2020. This includes driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations that can be renewed online. Those expiring between March 1 and May 31 now have until June 30, 2020 to renew.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has also extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline one year, to October 1, 2021. This gives Idahoans an additional year to get the Star Card, Idaho’s REAL ID.

DMV office hours and services are determined by county sheriffs and assessors and vary statewide. Please contact your county office before you make the trip, and remember you can always call ITD’s DMV Customer Contact Center at 208.334.8000. Employees will be happy to help you even as they work from home.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my Driver Records team for weathering this storm like champions. They have handled it with integrity and grace and continue to give the very best customer service,” Thompson said.

For more information and resources visit itd.idaho.gov/driveidaho.

Westbound I-84 to close east of Mtn Home for control burn operation Tuesday

BLM fire crew conducts controlled burn along a highway

The Idaho Transportation Department will close a section of Interstate 84 east of Mountain Home tomorrow morning, allowing BLM crews to conduct a controlled burn of vegetation along the highway.

The closure will be for westbound traffic only between Exit 112 and Exit 90. Traffic will be detoured off I-84 at Exit 112 (Hammett Hill Rd.), travel on Old Highway 30, and rejoin the Interstate at Exit 90 (I-84B in Mountain Home).

“We definitely want to thank ITD for being a great partner every year,” said Jared Jablonski, Fire Information Officer for the Boise District BLM. “We have spring meetings every year and we work together on mitigating fire risk along the highway.”

Check out this video of a controlled burn from earlier this year along Idaho Highway 51.

ITD has partnered with the Boise District Bureau of Land Management on vegetation control since 2007. Since that time, the annual number of fire starts along this section of the Interstate has dropped significantly.

“The savings to the taxpayer from this activity are considerable,” said Carl Vaughn, ITD foreman out of Mountain Home. “Fewer starts means we don’t have to close the road, firefighters can be deployed elsewhere, and public and private land adjacent to the Interstate are spared the damage of catastrophic wildfires. It’s also helped reduce animal strikes along the Interstate.”

The BLM regularly conducts controlled burns along Southwest Idaho highways during the spring. There is a narrow window when temperatures are low and new vegetation is greening up where crews can conduct controlled burns in Idaho’s desert steppe. The spring activity pays dividends during peak fire season.

“When the summertime rolls around, roadside vegetation really does become a problem, as far as unnecessary human-caused fires along the roadway,” said Jablonski. “The more fuel we can get rid of in a controlled setting, the more benefit it is to us.”

ITD and the BLM remind travelers to be fire wise and make choices to prevent wildfires this year. Two common causes of man-made wildfires are tow chains dragging on the road and sparking or hot cars parking in grassy areas. Ensure tow chains are elevated off the ground and avoid parking in areas where exhaust pipes or a catalytic converter is contacting dry grass.

Bridge replacement to begin next week on ID-75 north of Ketchum

Four Mile Bridge over the Big Wood River in Blaine County

The Idaho Transportation Department is expected to start construction on a bridge replacement next week on Idaho Highway 75 in Blaine County. Commonly referred to as the Four Mile Bridge because of its proximity to Galena Lodge, the structure spans the Big Wood River approximately twenty miles north of Ketchum at milepost 148.2.

“The current bridge was built in 1953 and has exceeded its life expectancy,” said South-central ITD Project Manager Brock Dillé. “In the coming months, we will replace the existing three-span bridge with a new single-span structure. Unlike the current bridge, the new structure will not have any piers in the water which will more readily allow for the natural meandering of the river.”

The new structure will be wider in order to accommodate 12-foot lanes with 3-foot shoulders in each direction. This will provide for more separation between vehicles and bicycles on the roadway and improve safety in the area.

While construction is ongoing, traffic will be reduced to a single lane. Temporary traffic signals will be in place and motorists can expect average wait times of approximately 15 minutes.

“There will be occasions when certain construction activities will require slightly longer wait times,” said Dillé. “Our goal is to keep these as minimal as possible throughout the project.”

A push button will also be in place for bicyclists who recreate in the area. Drivers and cyclists alike are advised to adhere to signals and watch for crews and heavy equipment during working hours.

Construction on the project is expected to be completed by late October of this year. The general contractor is Cannon Builders of Blackfoot.

Construction starts this Wednesday at Blue Creek Bay to finish bridge repairs

Photo showing traffic crossing the I-90 Blue Creek Bay bridge

April 28, 2020 update: The eastbound bridge, not the westbound bridge, will receive repairs first this season.

Repairs to the bridges on Interstate 90 over Blue Creek Bay will resume this Wednesday, April 29. The repairs will extend the service life of these structures for another fifty years.

Over the last two summers, extensive work to protect the underwater support structures was completed, and temporary joints to allow the bridges to expand and contract with the weather were installed. This season the contractor will finish the driving surface of the 1,400-foot-long bridges. Repairs are expected to be underway until August.

Work will start on the westbound bridge. Traffic will be shifted to the eastbound bridge and reduced to one lane in each direction. Once the westbound bridge is finished, it will carry traffic so crews can continue work on the eastbound bridge.

Another project in the next five years is now planned to replace the temporary joints with permanent ones.

“We understand that this project has affected drivers as they head to the national forest or to the lake on their summer weekends,” Resident Engineer Ryan Hawkins said. “Although we originally planned to install joints that would last another fifty years, we decided to postpone that part of the project to shorten the construction season and reduce our impact to drivers.”

The follow-up project will be scheduled once design is complete and funding has been identified.

Approximately 3.5 miles of I-90 from the bridges to the bottom of Fourth of July Pass, including some ramps at the junction with Idaho Highway 97, will be resurfaced during the month of June and create a longer work zone. For information on other construction projects, visit itdprojects.org.

Truck ramp on US-95 north of Bonners Ferry to close next week

Photo of reconstructed US-95 in Bonners Ferry

The emergency ramp for trucks on US-95 just north of Bonners Ferry will be closed for approximately three days starting Tuesday, April 28.

One of the southbound lanes will also be closed to give crews room to work as they upgrade the signage at the ramp. An additional sign will be placed on the overhead structure to indicate the appropriate lane for through traffic. Originally this message was displayed on the bridge over the Kootenai River but was removed after being damaged in a June 2018 crash.

Drivers can also expect to see crews spread out between Madison Street and Alderson Lane this spring as they make the final touches to highway improvements made in 2018 and 2019, beginning with concrete repair work on Monday, April 27.

Crews will finish landscaping efforts that were postponed due to snowfall last year, as well as redo portions of sidewalks and correct a drainage issue near Ford Street.

One lane in each direction will be maintained for the next two months while work is underway, with the work zone shifting to specific locations as needed within the project limits.

Over the last two years crews have built a consistent, three-lane section through town with sidewalks on both sides. In 2023 and 2024, drivers will see that design extended from Alderson Lane to Labrosse Hill Street.

To learn more, visit itdprojects.org/us95bonnersferry.

Change in traffic on US-93 in Jerome County starting early next week

Crews and heavy equipment work along US-93 in Jerome County.

Traffic flow is expected to change Monday, April 27 on US-93 between 200 S Road and 300 S Road in Jerome County. This is part of the ongoing US-93 widening project, which will see the highway transition from two lanes to four to increase mobility and traffic flow in the area.

“We will be placing temporary traffic signals at both ends of the project early next week,” said ITD South-central Idaho Project Manager Sam Purser. “While these signals are in place, crews will tie the newly constructed southbound lanes into the existing highway.”

Temporary signals will be utilized for approximately three to four weeks. The intersection at US-93/200 South will also be closed during this time to allow for the construction of new turn bays.

Motorists can anticipate minor delays and are encouraged to plan ahead if commuting through the area. In addition to the signals, construction signage, candlesticks, and barrels will also be in place to safely direct those traveling through the work zone.

Drivers are advised to use caution and watch for workers and heavy equipment entering and exiting the highway.

“This project will improve safety at the US-93/200 South intersection for both passenger and commercial vehicles,” explained Purser. “The end result will be a divided highway similar to what drivers encounter two miles south of this area.”

Idaho Materials and Construction is the prime contractor for this project.

For more information visit https://itdprojects.org/projects/us-93-200-south-road

US-95 repaving through Lapwai and Culdesac begins Thursday, April 23

Construction to resurface six miles of US-95 through Lapwai and Culdesac will begin Thursday, April 23.

Drivers can expect alternating, one-way traffic during working hours. When crews are not on site, no lane closures will be in place.

Work is expected to last two months. During this time, drivers may encounter both daytime and nighttime work.

The highway will be repaved from Webb Road to Aspen Lane in Lapwai and from Mission Creek Road to Old Winchester Grade in Culdesac.

Once the highway is repaved, the driving surface will be smoother. Learn more at itdprojects.org/us95lapwaiculdesac.

Chinden (U.S. 20/26) reduced to one lane at Locust Grove for utility installation

back hoe, loader, and semi truck near the intersection of Locust Grove and Chinden

Chinden Boulevard (US 20/26) at its intersection with Locust Grove Road, will be reduced to one lane with flagger control, Tuesday and Wednesday this week (April 21 and 22) between 9 am and 3 pm, while crews install underground utilities. Traffic will resume to two-lanes, one in each direction, after 3 pm each day.

Significantly reduced traffic in the area has provided the opportunity to perform this work during daylight hours, and expedite the overall project schedule. Traffic on Locust Grove will be open in both directions, controlled by flaggers through the intersection.

Please visit www.ITDProjects.org/ChindenWest for up-to-date information and opportunities to participate.

National Work Zone Awareness Week from April 20-24 reminds drivers to continue to watch out for work zones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction and maintenance operations continue and are essential to Idaho’s response to allow for the essential delivery of goods, medical equipment and other important services throughout the state and the nation.

Signal upgrade at 18th Street and Main Street in Lewiston starting tomorrow to improve traffic flow

Picture of US-12 as it crosses into Clarkston

Workers from the Idaho Transportation Department and the City of Lewiston will modify the existing signal at 18^th Street and Main Street in Lewiston starting tomorrow (April 21) to improve traffic flow.

The modified signal will feature flashing yellow arrows.

“This change improves drivers’ mobility by allowing them to turn left after checking for pedestrians and oncoming traffic without waiting for a solid green arrow,” ITD Traffic Engineer Jared Hopkins said.

Work will start at 8 a.m. and will last for several hours, during which time drivers will be directed to treat the intersection as a four-way stop.