McElhinney named new Idaho Transportation Department Chief Operations Officer

Dan McElhinney has been selected as the Idaho Transportation Department’s new Chief Operations Officer following a thorough national search. He is expected to begin August 10.

At ITD, McElhinney will be responsible for overseeing more than 12,000 lane miles of highways and roads, more than 1,800 bridges on the State Highway System, as well as the department’s Highway Construction & Operations and Highway Development areas, plus six district offices located in regions around the state.

McElhinney comes to ITD from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), where he serves as District 10 Director in Stockton.

As District Director, he is responsible for overseeing more than 3,500 lane miles in eight counties, leading 600 employees and managing a nearly $2 billion capital program asset management plan and an annual operating budget of more than $150 million.

Prior to accepting the Stockton position, Dan served as the San Francisco Bay Area Chief Deputy District Director, where he led more than 3,000 employees and had oversight for a construction program in excess of $10 billion.

He is a licensed civil engineer who graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering with Minors in Surveying and Metallurgy.

“One of the things about Dan that really impressed me was when he said a small culvert job in a remote and rural part of the state is just as important as a big construction project in the heart of a densely populated region of the state,” said ITD Director Brian Ness. “Idaho has a lot of those small, rural places, so it is important that the Chief Operations Officer bring the right mindset to work.”

Traffic shifted from westbound lanes to eastbound lanes through the Salt Lake Interchange project

As early as Tuesday of next week (July 7), traffic will shift on Interstate 84/86 at the Salt Lake Interchange project. Motorists traveling on I-84 toward Pocatello will no longer be crossed over to the westbound lanes; instead drivers traveling westbound on I-86 toward Burley will be crossed over to join them on the same set of lanes.

“Shifting all traffic off the westbound lanes to the eastbound lanes will allow for crews to work on that side of the highway,” ITD Project Manager Travis Hitchcock said. “This new traffic pattern is really a mirror image/reverse of what drivers were doing previously, and we anticipate it will be in place for approximately seven weeks.”

Traffic will remain reduced to a single lane in each direction, and the turn offs toward Salt Lake City will remain the same as before.

This project is scheduled to finish by late 2020.

Drivers should still anticipate reduced speeds through the work zone and pay close attention to signage.

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

Construction on US-26/US-93 in Blaine County to begin next week

Rehabilitation of US-26/US-93 is expected to begin next Monday (July 6), south of Carey. Work will encompass approximately seven miles of highway (milepost 196 to 203) and provide a safer and smoother ride for motorists.

US-26/US-93 between Shoshone and Carey has seen several rehabilitation projects in recent years. This is one of three remaining projects that are programmed to address the area.

“We anticipate construction to last through August,” said ITD Project Inspector Chuck Sharp. “Working during the warm summer months will allow us to complete rehabilitation and also sealcoat the highway to help preserve the road during the upcoming winter season.”

While construction is underway, traffic on this section of highway will be reduced to a single lane. A pilot car will be utilized during working hours – Monday through Thursday from 7 am to 6 pm.

Motorists should anticipate reduced speeds and watch for workers and heavy equipment throughout the work zone.

The general contractor is Western Construction of Boise.

Black Cat Road closed at Chinden, July-August 2020

Intersection of Black Cat and Chinden with stop sign

Black Cat Road will close beginning July 6 to all traffic between Larry Lane and Chinden Boulevard (US 20/26) and to through traffic between McMillan Road and Chinden, as crews make improvements to the Chinden/Black Cat intersection as part of the ChindenWest project.

Work is scheduled to occur during the day and be complete in early August. Crews will be working in the area prior to the closure relocating utilities. Although not expected, night work is allowable.

When complete, Black Cat will have a dedicated left-turn lane to Chinden and a center turn lane that connects to the existing three-lane configuration south of Larry Lane.

Traffic will be detoured via Chinden and McMillan to McDermott Road and Ten Mile Road.

Project Overview

Construction is ongoing in segments of Chinden between Eagle Road and Star Road. Specifically, paving operations to widen the highway to two-lanes in each direction is underway between Linder Road and State Highway 16, and turning movements are restricted between Locust Grove Road and Eagle as crews prepare this segment for widening. Most work is scheduled for completion in late fall 2020.

The corridor, dubbed ChindenWest, is a vital east-west corridor in the heart of the Treasure Valley. The construction will add travel lanes, widen shoulders, and build a separated path parallel to the roadway.

The project website, ITDprojects.org/ChindenWest, serves as a hub of information for the public, including videos that provide a window into the future. The one-stop-shop website includes detailed information about construction activities, anticipated traffic impacts, and the improvement designs.

Idaho Transportation Department now taking suggestions from residents for upcoming projects

Photo of traffic using the Northwest Boulevard exit on I-90

The Idaho Transportation Department is asking for input on the just–released draft Idaho Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP). The 2021-2027 draft ITIP is a seven-year plan of the state’s transportation improvements, and all stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

Projects can range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller projects like the installation of a new guardrail. In all, the draft ITIP includes projects in all 44 counties and all modes of transportation. Projects were selected based on technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents.

A complete breakdown of the draft plan can be found at itd.idaho.gov/funding, as well as an interactive map that allows users to learn about projects by narrowing it down to specific categories and locations.

A few of the major projects in North Idaho include:

– A study in 2021 to develop an environmental document to identify impacts for future I-90 expansion
– The addition of a third westbound lane on I-90 between Atlas Road and Government Way and on the Northwest Boulevard exit in 2027
–A study in 2021 to identify optimal locations for wildlife crossings on US-95 between Grnaite Hill and Sandpoint
– Several turn lanes on US-95 in 2027 at Mountain Meadows north of Naples, Kootenai Trail/Cabinet Mountain south of Bonners Ferry, West Elmira Road in Elmira and Conkling Road south of Worley
– Turn lanes and lighting at Idaho Highway 41 and Spirit Bend in Spirit Lake in 2027

– Flashing beacon at Idaho Highway 53 and Atlas Road east of Rathdrum in 2027

Comments will be taken from July 1-31 and can be e-mailed to ITDcommunication@itd.idaho.gov or mailed to:

ITIP – Comments
Attn: Aubrie Spence
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707

Paper copies of the ITIP will be provided upon request by contacting Aubrie at (208) 334-8119.

All comments will be reviewed, incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate, and responses will be sent in August once the comment period has ended.

After approval by the Idaho Transportation Board in September, the ITIP will then be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency in October.

Idaho Transportation Department now taking suggestions from residents for upcoming projects

Photo of future US-95 alignment in Moscow

A few of the major projects in North-Central Idaho include:

US-95 expansion from Thorn Creek Road to Moscow in 2021 – 2022
Replacement of the East Kooskia Bridge on Idaho Highway 13 in 2027
Turn lanes on US-95 north of Moscow at Estes Road and North Foothills Road in 2027

Notable changes to projects already in the program include the delay of two bridge replacements in Potlatch from 2021 to 2022 and another project to add turn lanes at US-95 and County Road in Grangeville from 2021 to 2023.

Comments will be taken from July 1-31 and can be e-mailed to ITDcommunication@itd.idaho.gov or mailed to:

ITIP – Comments
Attn: Aubrie Spence
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707

Paper copies of the ITIP will be provided upon request by contacting Aubrie at (208) 334-8119.

All comments will be reviewed, incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate, and responses will be sent in August once the comment period has ended.

Idaho Goes Hands-Free July 1

A driver heads down I-84 in Meridian with both hands on the wheel.

On July 1, 2020 drivers in Idaho will no longer be able to use handheld electronic devices while driving.

Idaho is about to become the latest state to have a hands-free driving law on the books. Earlier this year the Idaho legislature passed House Bill 614 banning the use of handheld electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle. The new law takes effect on July 1.

Distracted driving is a contributing factor in about one out of every five crashes in Idaho. Between 2014 and 2018, there were 241 people killed in distracted driving crashes across the state with hundreds more seriously injured.

While most of us choose to drive engaged by putting away distractions and focusing on the road – the new law may be a timely reminder for others to drive well.

Here are some answers to questions you might have about Idaho’s newest traffic safety law:

We already have a distracted driving law, so how is this new law different?

In 2012, the legislature passed a law that prohibited texting — this statute will be repealed once the new law becomes effective. The old law focused on the act of texting and driving and did not provide provisions for other uses of phones like using social media, watching or capturing videos, or playing video games. The new law accounts for many of the additional ways we use electronic devices.

Another notable change in the law is its definition of operating a motor vehicle. For the former texting and driving law to be enforced, it required the driver to be texting while driving a vehicle in motion. The new law applies when you drive or have physical control of a motor vehicle in a travel lane on a public roadway – even if you are temporarily stopped at a stop sign or a traffic signal. Keep in mind, if you are parked out of the travel lane, you can use your phone.

Under the new law, use of a handheld electronic device becomes a moving violation and carries a progressive fine for multiple violations within a three year period.

My city already has a hands-free ordinance, do I need to keep that in mind?

Once the law takes effect, it will preempt all local ordinances in relation to hands-free driving. In other words, the expectation statewide is that we put our phones away while we drive.

Will drivers get a chance to get used to the new law?

One of the provisions of the new law is that people won’t receive citations for violations in the first six months in order to educate the public about the new law. But just because law enforcement officers aren’t issuing citations doesn’t mean they aren’t enforcing the law. You can still be stopped by officers is they see you driving with a handheld device.

There are a lot of other distractions, so why are we only focusing on the phone?

Distracted driving happens when you participate in any activity that takes your attention away from the act of driving. Anyone who drives can tell attest to the fact that there is a nearly endless list of possible distractions.

No matter the distraction, it falls into one of three categories: manual, visual, or cognitive. When you use a phone or other handheld electronic device you are participating in all three types of distractions at once. Putting the phone away eliminates two of these three types of distractions and put you in a position to be better prepared to anticipate and react to the road.

Expansion of Idaho Highway 41 now underway between Post Falls and Rathdrum

Traffic on ID-41 near the future railroad overpass

Work is now underway on a multi-year effort to improve and expand Idaho Highway 41 from two lanes to four lanes between Post Falls and Rathdrum.

“Expansion will better serve the drivers who use this route every day, which in some sections is nearly 20,000 motorists,” Resident Engineer Ryan Hawkins said. “The existing highway will essentially become the southbound lanes of the new highway, allowing much of the work to be constructed with minimal impact.”

Over the next three years, new lanes will be added to the east of the existing lanes, along with a wide path for bicyclists and pedestrians. Outside of city limits, the lanes will be divided by a grassy median.

An overpass will be built to carry traffic safely over the railroad tracks that cross the highway just north of Hayden Avenue. The other crossing south of Hayden Avenue will be removed. View a rendering of the overpass.

Construction of the overpass will be the first step in expanding the highway, with the northbound bridge completed in spring 2021 and the southbound bridge finished in spring 2022.

Utilities will be relocated or installed this year throughout the corridor to allow for the beginning of paving next spring. For information on staging, download this fact sheet.

“Traffic will continue to run on the current lanes while two new lanes and the railroad overpass are built to the east,” Hawkins said. “Once those lanes are finished, traffic will be moved onto that section while the old section is reconstructed.”

Crews with the primary contractor Scarcella Brothers, Inc. have already started necessary demolition efforts and are now fully mobilized. Email updates will be available throughout construction by signing up at itdprojects.org/id41corridor.

These changes were designed in cooperation with the cities of Rathdrum and Post Falls, and both cities are supporting expansion with funding.

Construction costs for expansion between Prairie Avenue and Boekel Road total $31.5 million, and the other portion between Mullan Avenue and Prairie Avenue will be bid this fall. Over the next seven years, ITD is investing more than $131 million to expand ID-41 between Post Falls and Rathdrum and upgrade the interchange at Interstate 90.

Sealcoat to US-95 starts Thursday and expected to slow traffic through the weekend

Photo of traffic on US-95 near Dakota Avenue in CDA

Crews will apply a sealcoat to the surface of US-95 north of Coeur d’Alene beginning Thursday (June 25). Work is expected to slow traffic as a nine-mile segment between Chilco and the county line is treated.

Traffic will be slowed to 35 mph and restricted to one lane on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Before quitting each day, crews will sweep up loose chips and open all lanes. The speed will still be reduced outside of working hours to prevent windshield damage.

This is part of a larger project to sealcoat 16 miles between Dakota Avenue in Hayden and the county line. The southern portion from Chilco to Dakota Avenue is scheduled to start after the Fourth of July holiday.

Sealcoating, also called chip sealing, protects the surface of the road and extends the lifespan of the pavement. A sticky slurry is sprayed on the road, rock chips are applied on top of the slurry and traffic compresses the chips into place for a long-lasting seal.

Reduced speeds are required on fresh chip seals to prevent loose rocks from flying up, causing potential damage to windshields and vehicles.

This work will be coordinated with construction at the Idaho Highway 53 intersection and various intersections in Coeur d’Alene and Hayden.

Construction of upgraded I-84 interchange at Northside Boulevard proceeds this weekend

Following the completion of the median lanes for Interstate 84 in Nampa, crews will finish the removal the old Northside Boulevard Interchange structure this weekend.

The interchange is being upgraded to a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI). This design is safer and more efficient than the traditional diamond interchange design and has been successful across the Treasure Valley at Ten Mile Rd., Meridian Rd., and Vista Ave. A notable difference with the Northside SPUI is that the on and off ramps will meet beneath the Interstate instead of above them.

Graphic rendering of new SPUI interchange — *Graphic rendering of the new Northside SPUI*

This work will require several impacts in the short-term.

Overnight Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, Northside Blvd. will be closed between the Interstate ramps while crews demolish the remainder of the old bridge structure. I-84 will be reduced to one lane of travel in each direction. Those impacts will be in place from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day. Northside traffic will use a marked detour route (click for a detour map).

Beginning next week, crews will excavate the embankments of the old bridge to create additional room to shift Northside traffic. In July, Northside traffic will shift to temporary pavement on the west, allowing construction of the new features to the east. This is expected to take several months to complete.

When improvements are complete on the east side, traffic will be shifted to the new travel lanes and crews will begin constructing the new features on the west side of the interchange.

Throughout the reconstruction, two lanes in each direction will be maintained on Northside during the day. ITD anticipates nightly closures of a lane in each direction on Northside between Shannon Drive and Karcher Road.

The upgraded SPUI will feature additional safety and capacity for vehicles. It will include new bicycle lanes and sidewalks on Northside. The eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp will be a gentler grade, allowing vehicles to more-easily get up to highway speed when entering or slow down when exiting.

For more information about I-84 improvements in Canyon County, visit ITDprojects.org/84corridor.