Beginning tomorrow the Idaho Transportation Department will chip seal the System Interchange in Pocatello. Once this work is complete, the roadway will be restriped to indicate the final lane configurations.
Chip sealing covers temporary lane markings used throughout various phases of construction and maximizes the taxpayers’ investment by extending the lifespan of the pavement. A sticky slurry is sprayed on the pavement then rock chips are applied on top for a long-lasting seal. This treatment protects pavement from sun, oxidation, weather, water, oil and gas, and increases traction for safety.
Tabs will be placed on the new chip seal to indicate lanes for the short time before striping work can occur.
The previous connection between I-86 and I-15 was originally built in the 1960s. Now nearing completion, the System Interchange is a $112 million redesign to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure that began construction in 2022.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and slow down to posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night at the System Interchange, it is especially important that drivers be alert and travel safely.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of related detours. Project details are available on ITD’s website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/i-86i-15-system-interchange.
Due to bridge demolition, the Inkom northbound entrance ramp onto I-15 will be closed for two nights. The West Inkom Interchange northbound entrance ramp (Exit 58) closure will take place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Monday, June 23 and Tuesday, June 24, weather and other factors permitting.
Traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 91 and then to Exit 63 to head north on I-15. Please watch for crews, use caution, and drive safely.
Due to the nature of the work, considerable noise is expected during the bridge demolition.
The Idaho Transportation Department is in the process of replacing bridges on I-15 at Inkom:
- Over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and Old Highway 91.
- Over Rapid Creek Road (Main Street).
- I-15 bridges and reconstructing the West Interchange.
ITD combined and streamlined the projects to reduce the construction timeline to approximately two years rather than doing one location at a time over three years. This approach minimizes disruption to the local community and the traveling public and efficiently uses construction funds.
To learn more about the project or sign up for construction updates, please visit: itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i15-inkom-corridor. This temporary closure and other traffic impacts will be posted to 511.idaho.gov.
Tomorrow the Idaho Transportation Department will begin repaving the southbound lanes of Interstate 15 from the Rose/Firth Exit 98 to one mile north of West Blackfoot Exit 93. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and moved over to the northbound side of I-15.
The project will reconstruct the road to address rutting and potholes. Work is anticipated to be completed in mid-August. The northbound lanes were similarly repaved last year.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area and are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours.
Today at its regular monthly meeting the Idaho Transportation Board accepted staff recommendations on priority corridors across Idaho using TECM funds to address congestion, including three projects on Interstate 15 near Blackfoot. Since Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation funds were first used by the department for bonding and advancing major projects in 2022, ITD has delivered timely construction of expansion projects across the state. Today’s actions are a continuation of that.
Funding came from House Bill 25, which was passed by the Idaho Legislature earlier this year. The legislation provides an additional $20 million a year to the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation fund for the next three years and allows the department to invest an extra $1 billion in the Idaho transportation system.
With this new funding, the following projects have been recommended for advancing to construction:
- I-15 and US-26 Interchange (Exit 93): The existing interchange will be replaced to accommodate additional lanes on the interstate and to include longer on- and off-ramps for safer merging. Construction is anticipated to start in 2026, five years earlier than planned.
- I-15 widening from milepost 89 to 93: This project will add capacity by widening the interstate to three lanes in each direction between the US-26 Interchange and the South Blackfoot Interchange. Construction was previously not funded but is now anticipated to start in 2027.
- I-15 and US-91 South Blackfoot Interchange (Exit 89): The existing interchange will be upgraded to accommodate additional lanes on the interstate and include longer on- and off-ramps for safer merging. Construction is anticipated to start in 2028, three years earlier than planned.
With these projects now included in the draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP), the public will have the opportunity to give feedback on this project and the department’s full list of planned projects from 2026-2032 during the annual comment period in July. Then the draft ITIP will be presented to the board for approval in September.
The board’s action today reflects continued investment targeting congestion and capacity in major corridors that were previously funded by TECM bonds as authorized by the Idaho Legislature. TECM funds have allowed for the construction of the I-86 and I-15 System Interchange in Pocatello, as well as the widening of I-15 from Northgate to Fort Hall.
These projects were identified because they are existing high-priority corridor needs that will improve traffic flow and increase safety.
The Idaho Transportation Department will move Interstate 15 traffic Tuesday and Wednesday nights to accommodate girder placement at 2.5 Mile Road Bridge.
Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction and shifted onto the same side of the interstate. Work will be conducted between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour through the work zone.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night on the project to make I-15 three lanes from Northgate to Fort Hall it is especially important that drivers be alert and travel safely.
I-15 serves as a major transportation corridor through eastern Idaho. These improvements will increase capacity and improve safety to serve the region’s growing transportation needs for years to come.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available on ITD’s projects website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i15northgatetoblackfoot.
Southbound traffic is now able to travel over the Stoddard Creek Bridge at Interstate 15 Exit 184 just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Travelers can now turn both right and left onto Stoddard Creek Road underneath the bridge. This road provides access to multiple camping and recreational opportunities in the area.
Southbound 1-15 traffic is no longer diverted onto the Exit 184 ramps, but back onto one lane over the Stoddard Creek Bridge along the main roadway. This one lane closure allows the Idaho Transportation Department and contractor partners to accomplish finishing work, like replacing guardrails, on the passing lane of I-15. Work is expected to be complete and all traffic restrictions removed within the next month.
This update can be seen on the Idaho 511 app and at https://511.idaho.gov/.
RIGBY— With the onset of spring, over the next several months the Idaho Transportation Department and contractor partners are crack sealing, repairing potholes, removing hazardous trees and conducting more substantial improvements to ruts and bumps in the roads from Salmon to Driggs and the Montana state lines to Idaho Falls.
Crack sealing is underway on Interstate 15 from Idaho Falls to Dubois, as well as State Highways 33 and 47. This work involves a mobile one-lane restriction that follows workers’ progress. ITD crews fill minor cracks in the roadway with a strong, sticky tar that serves to keep water from getting under the surface and making the damage worse. This must be done in spring during cooler temperatures and dry conditions, and then the repair effectively expands through warmer months.
Flagging operations will be in place temporarily on state highways across east Idaho as ITD performs mastic pothole repair. Expect flagging delays to be less than 15 minutes where this work is occurring. Mastic work uses a hot-applied rubber and asphalt combination that is highly effective at sealing up more substantial damages in the road. These fixes must also be done in dry conditions and specific temperatures seen during the spring. Crews time work before or after peak travel times, even at night as needed.
On U.S. Highway 20 between Rexburg and St. Anthony, crews will be working to mill off the surface of the road in 1,500-foot stretches or less and then overlay new pavement. Expect to see one lane closures and speed reductions where this is occurring.
Hazardous tree removal will also begin this spring on U.S. Highway 93 between Challis and Salmon. ITD crews can sometimes work off the roadway, though flaggers will be in place as needed, with one lane restricted in 15-minute increments. The removal of dying and diseased trees will improve errant driver safety recovery zones, wildlife visibility and fire protection widths. This effort will continue through the spring and into the summer months.
Other routine spring maintenance work like shoulder repairs and delineation enhancements are also ongoing. Drivers should be aware of these smaller work zones, slow down and move over to help everyone stay safe. Download the Idaho 511 app or visit tps://511.idaho.gov/ to stay up to date on where road work is occurring across Idaho.
The Idaho Transportation Department and its construction partner Wadsworth Brothers Construction is beginning reconstruction of Interstate 15 at Inkom.
Work will replace I-15 bridges in three locations:
- Over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks and Old Highway 91.
- Over Rapid Creek Road (Main Street).
- I-15 bridges and reconstructing the West Interchange.
ITD combined and streamlined the projects to reduce the construction timeline to approximately two years rather than doing one location at a time over three years. This approach minimizes disruption to the local community and the traveling public and efficiently uses construction funds.
Old Highway 91 will be closed under I-15 beginning Monday, weather and other factors permitting, to allow Idaho Power to relocate utilities. Local access will be allowed. Other drivers will be detoured along Rapid Creek Road (Main Street). The detour will remain in place until mid-June.
I-15 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction from early March until late October.
For project progress and to sign up for construction updates, go to the project webpage at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i15-inkom-corridor. Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours.
The Idaho Transportation Department is continuing repairs to the Stoddard Creek Bridge at Exit 184 on Interstate 15. Stoddard Creek Road underneath the I-15 bridge is closed for safety, as crews work to demolish the current bridge deck above.
Both northbound and southbound travelers exiting the freeway will only be able to make right turns from the ramps on to Stoddard Creek Road. Drivers cannot turn left and travel underneath the closed bridge. This restriction will remain in effect until work is completed, which is estimated to be late spring.
The recreational parking area west of the Stoddard Creek Exit is only directly available for southbound I-15 drivers. Northbound traffic needing to access the recreational parking area should proceed six miles to Humprey Exit 190, then head back southbound to exit at Stoddard Creek. From this direction, a right turn to the parking area can be safely completed.
Updates on this closure and construction can be found on the Idaho 511 app and at 511.idaho.gov.
