Drive smart: slow down in work zones

Construction season is once more gearing up across Idaho which means plenty of orange on the roads – on both people and cones.

Of course the orange isn’t there to make you think of hunting season or add some color to your drive. It’s to make you aware of the dangers present in work zones. When ITD employees wear orange they want you to see them and to slow down!

This year, more than 100 members of ITD’s staff who aren’t typically out on the roads came together and wore orange to share this message of safety, and to show support for those who take risks repairing and maintaining our roads and bridges. You can see a video of the event below.

Don’t forget, fines for traffic violations increase in work zones. More importantly, you can help be an agent for change by slowing down and driving cautiously when you come to a construction project.

Help our people make it home safe this year!

Bad crash brings silver lining

Keeping our roads safe often requires a lot of partnerships – from local governments, to businesses, and even drivers. ITD crews in eastern Idaho are receiving praise for their efforts to repair a heavily damaged traffic signal in Pocatello.

“I cannot recall a project that went as smoothly as this one,” said Mike Neville the Traffic Operations Supervisor for the City of Pocatello.

Signal Repair Pocatello — *Crews repair a signal badly damaged in a crash*

The signal at the corner of Oak and Yellowstone in Pocatello was heavily damaged earlier this month after it was hit by a truck. Within a week workers from District 5 were ready to make repairs with a brand new signal pole.

“They did a great job of ensuring that the replacement pole was ready, on site, and would fit on the foundation,” Neville said. “It was nice to have such successful cooperation between ITD and the City of Pocatello.”

Replacing the pole took ITD crews away from their families so they could work with while there were fewer cars on the road. Their professionalism, even on their off-day, was noted by those in the area.

“While I do not look forward to additional poles being struck by vehicles, I do look forward to being able to work together again in the near future,” said Neville.

Traffic sensors will aid traffic flow on I-15 during upcoming construction

To aid traffic flow for tens of thousands of drivers during upcoming construction on Interstate 15 in eastern Idaho, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is turning to new technology. Bluetooth-based roadway sensors in the Interstate 15 median will provide real-time travel information during construction starting later this spring.

I-15 Project Map — *Map showing construction projects along I-15 for 2017*

Between this spring and next year, ITD will resurface deteriorated pavement on I-15 and make numerous bridge repairs. Construction will include multiple work zones along a 140-mile stretch of I-15 between Utah and Montana.

More than 50 sensors will be connected to portable message signs (similar to those seen in this picture, but attached to poles rather than sign posts) located at the beginning of construction zones to communicate traffic impacts ahead. Sensors pick up the Bluetooth signal on phones or in vehicles as they pass any two points in the work zone, and the times between them are calculated in order to find average travel speeds.

ITD will also make the real-time travel data available to the public through a mobile app being developed, and is working to place the information on the project website.

The sensors will help ITD monitor traffic conditions during summer/fall construction, and during the winter months.

“This technology will give us reliable traffic data we can use to maximize traffic flow and make our work zones safer,” said Dan Harelson, ITD District 5 Engineering Manager. “ITD is asking motorists to plan extra time to travel through construction. Pay attention to signage and changing traffic patterns this summer.”

Similar Bluetooth sensors have been used successfully at various places in Idaho and Utah. The sensors will be removed once construction is complete on I-15. Additional sensors will be installed on U.S. 20 and U.S. 91 during the same timeframe.

To request email updates during I-15 construction, email comments@itd.idaho.gov or text INTERSTATE15 to 22828. The I-15 App will be available later this year on Google Play and the App Store.

Active slides undercutting Idaho State Highway 5 near St. Maries

Shifting ground from a very wet spring has caused sections of State Highway 5 to heave and collapse.

ITD has completely shut down ID 5 between Parkside Rd. and Conklin Park Rd. A mud slide beneath the road has caused it to crack and sink. In some areas, the road is gone entirely. At this point in time, engineers fear the section of road may be a total loss.

Crews will start to do exploratory drilling Friday and into the weekend. This will help discover the extent of the slide and what repairs may be needed once shifting stops.

ITD first noticed significant damage last Monday. Initially, small 3-inch wide cracks formed on the road surface. By Tuesday those cracks were 8 inches wide and more than six feet deep. Since then the road has steadily deteriorated and continues to shift.

Motorists are advised to detour around the dangerous area. ID 3 and ID 6 are the best options. Local traffic has been using the state park road, but that is now restricted due to unstable ground. Local authorities are asking those roads be used only for local emergency traffic.

ITD Extends Pavement Resurfacing Limits from Nampa to Caldwell

BOISE–The Idaho Transportation Department will repave Interstate 84 from Nampa to Caldwell (Franklin Boulevard to Franklin Road) this summer.

The department has been working to accelerate construction and reduce costs in order to extend the project limits following a mid-January ITD Board vote to advance a project to repave a smaller segment of I-84 between Karcher Road and Franklin Road.

With design support from ITD’s Pocatello office, work originally slated to begin in 2018 and 2019 will be constructed this summer. Also, key to moving this project forward is support from the cities of Nampa and Caldwell, along with the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS).

The project includes resurfacing the entire stretch of both east and westbound I-84 between Nampa and Caldwell with the majority of the work occurring over the course of four weekends. This timeline is significantly less than the anticipated four-month construction timeframe if work were to follow traditional construction and scheduling methods.

Staging work over four weekends provides a much safer work zone for crews. The weekend work also reduces the impact to the traveling public, the overall time to complete the work, and the cost of the project through less traffic management during construction. These cost savings allow ITD to extend the project to Franklin Boulevard.

“We recognize the importance of this corridor and have focused our efforts on completing this resurfacing work as swiftly as possible,” said ITD District 3 Engineer Amy Revis.

Details and impacts of the project will be shared through outreach with stakeholders, commuters, businesses and community members, and media in the coming weeks.

While this maintenance work addresses deterioration of the roadway due to age and extensive pothole damage suffered this winter, it does not include widening. Widening I-84 from Nampa to Caldwell is estimated to cost $330 million. ITD’s available funding statewide for pavement maintenance, bridge replacements and safety improvements is approximately $300 million annually.

Due to current transportation funding levels, ITD is focused on preservation and maintenance of the existing system. In the interim, ITD and COMPASS continue to aggressively pursue grants to start expansion of that roadway.

Contact:
Jennifer Gonzalez
District 3 Communication
208-334-8938
jennifer.gonzalez@itd.idaho.gov

Broadway Bridge rebuild wins Government Leadership Award

ITD’s replacement of Boise’s Broadway Bridge was recognized Dec. 19 with a 2016 Leadership in Government award from the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho. The award recognizes individuals, businesses and projects that demonstrate leadership supporting Communities in Motion 2040, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon counties.