Beginning tomorrow at 9 a.m. the Pocatello Creek Road on-ramp to northbound Interstate 15 will be closed to allow crews to remove pavement and to prepare to pave the new on-ramp. The closure is expected to last until approximately 2 p.m. Detours will be in place to guide traffic to the Northgate Interchange or to the Clark Street Exit.
The Idaho Transportation Department is overseeing more road construction than ever before. This work continues as temperatures are cooling and the ice and snow make their all-to-soon appearance. How does ITD successfully pave a road and have one of the shortest summer seasons in the country? Materials engineering and testing actually do make it possible.
Before asphalt pavement is ever laid, the surface where it needs to go is sprayed with a binder that will make it stick. This is called tack, a liquid made of oil and water. Tack must naturally break apart to become adhesive, separating as it lays across the surface where paving will happen. As it breaks, tack turns from a brown color to darker black, indicating that breaking has happened, and asphalt can be laid on top.
On the warmest of Idaho summer days, tack breaks in about ten minutes. When it’s colder, it can take hours. Still, with the right process, tack will break. ITD just knows it takes longer and plans accordingly.
Hot mixed asphalt is combined in a hot plant that can heat the components—crushed gravel and oil—to more than 300 degrees. This is dumped from a truck and spread using a paver, then compacted with a roller. ITD inspectors are on site anytime the contractor is, testing temperatures, compaction and much more to ensure that taxpayers get their money’s worth out of each project.
For quality compaction on state highways and interstates, the process must occur between 240-280 degrees. On warm summer days, asphalt must sit for a while after being spread before it is cool enough to be compacted. On colder days, asphalt loads hauled from hot plants are covered in transit to retain the most amount of heat. The asphalt will then be spread, and the roller follows closely behind to compact immediately before the material has cooled too much. All century-old, effective tricks of the trade in action.
“We don’t loosen up our requirements just because it gets cold,” ITD Materials Engineering Manager Mark Hayes said. “All contractors are held to the same quality materials standards and only operate when there are ways to do it right.”
Most of Idaho’s state highways run through rural areas, far removed from permanent hot plant locations. This fall, paving is occurring on State Highway 28 between Leadore and Salmon. The closest permanent hot plant sits in Idaho Falls, nearly four hours away. Enter the mobile hot plant erected by contractors at the ITD Leadore gravel pit, less than five miles from where the asphalt needs to be delivered.
In Rexburg, where paving is still occurring on multiple interchanges off U.S. Highway 20, the contractor’s permanent hot plant lies in Teton, less than ten miles away. Planning to have these proximities ensures that temperature requirements are met, and paving can be done successfully both earlier and later in the year.
Of course, there comes a cold enough ambient daily temperature that means paving operations are simply no longer viable. ITD requires that the temperature be 40 degrees and rising for paving to happen, which can result in fewer hours to pave during the fall but still allows a window of work. The right equipment, materials, planning, testing and operating tricks of the trade make it so ITD and contractors can pave with quality even when it is colder outside.
When you see paving equipment and a compacting roller working close together while your heater is on inside your car, know that ITD and the industry have the brief Idaho summers and cold Idaho temperatures on tap. That new road surface will meet the same metrics as summer paving, ensuring it lasts for many years to come.
People see the Idaho Transportation Department logo and seem to have an automatic response, for better or worse. They’re the ones causing construction delays, needing to get the snow off the road already, or taking too long whatever they’re doing. They don’t do anything right and never will. Their flashing orange lights could just as easily be the mailman.
It’s not likely that you think of ITD as being the ones to first call 911, the ones to keep you from freezing or assess injury at the side of the road. They’re not your emergency responders. But then again, yes, they are.
All across Idaho, there is no one that travels the over 12,000 lane miles of highways and interstates more continually than the men and women behind the blue and orange ITD logo. The likelihood that they’ll be there when a crash or emergency occurs is higher than anyone else. The police and ambulance have to be called in. ITD is already there.
When two crop duster planes collided and crashed alongside US-26 near Arco, an ITD striping crew was there, becoming the first to assess the pilots. When a motorcycle crash occurred on Interstate 15 near Dubois, part of the ITD maintenance crew was there, already working the roads they consider their own. The story is similar in the case of many incidents across Idaho over the years.
“We spend so much time on the road, that nine times out of ten, we’re the first on scene when anything happens,” Idaho Falls area foreman Jared Loosli said. “And we’re not just going to pass by and leave.”
In the instance of a recent multi-fatality crash near the I-15/ US-20 interchange, Loosli and his crew were called in immediately to assist the Idaho State Police. Most people don’t realize that when state troopers get called out, ITD is almost always called out too.
“We have great foremen for ITD here in Idaho,” ISP Lieutenant Marvin Crane said. “We have personal relationships with them, and they never say they can’t do something. They’re always asking, ‘What do you need?’ and getting things done within minutes.”
“It does affect you,” Loosli stated, also noting that the worst incident he’s ever been a part of happened to one of his own guys.
“The first thing I’m thinking about is my crew,” Ashton/ Island Park foreman Ryan Wright added. “At that point, there are no traffic devices, there’s not time and it’s not the priority. It’s just our guy in the middle of everything trying to help.”
Very recently, Driggs/ St. Anthony Foreman Lucas Richins witnessed what all ITD foremen prioritize and fear the most. An ITD maintenance worker was hit after a distracted driver ran through a roadblock while powerline repair work was being done on SH-33.
So not only are ITD employees unhailed first responders, they’re also the underappreciated workers putting their lives on the line every day. Earlier this year, three of Loosli’s crew were removing hazards from I-15 when a semi grazed the side of their vehicle, damaging the rear end and taking off the driver’s side mirror. A mere two inches would’ve changed the outcome of that incident entirely.
What is it that keeps the guys in yellow working in these risky situations and responding to emergencies, knowing full well that public opinion is often negative and even rude?
“These are small communities,” Mackay/ Challis foreman Jeremy Johnson noted. “When we go out on a call, it could very well be our own friends and families. We’re thinking of keeping them safe in everything we do.”
“When I’m doing something myself, I can see the progress and know that I’m making things safer for everyone,” Wright shared. “I actually love to go out plowing. I love what I do.”
“It’s really a mentality,” Loosli says. “You either have it or you don’t honestly. People complain because they drive by and see four guys standing around. But we know why, we see the bigger picture and the process. The 30 seconds people see isn’t the story of the whole 10-hour day at all.”
“On instinct, I’m thinking about what I could have done, how could this have been prevented?” Richins said. “But then the biggest thought becomes frustration. We’re here trying to help and to serve. When we close a road, the whole point is to keep people safe. Driver awareness is so negligent that it really is frustrating. It’s dangerous.”
Adding to the dangerous nature of the job is the reality that the ITD fleet are not considered emergency vehicles, and ITD signage is too often not respected. Multiple layers of striped road blockades or orange traffic barrels somehow don’t always keep people out.
“We don’t enjoy closing a road or causing delays,” Richins emphasized. “We do it and we have to because it is the safest way. People need to be patient and have respect.”
“I don’t need to be liked,” Wright added. “I’m still here to do a job and to protect people.”
So maybe the next time you barely notice the flashing orange lights of an ITD vehicle alongside the road, want to scream in standstill construction traffic or at being stuck behind a plow, you’ll slow down and think too that those folks in bright yellow are also the ones who will be there before anyone else can. They could be the difference between freezing after sliding off the road or staying warm until the tow truck gets there. They could be the one to help make sure that your own family and friends across our tight-knit Idaho communities are given emergency support in time to matter.
It’s even highly likely that they will be.
Beginning tomorrow night, the northbound to westbound ramp of the Interstate 86/Interstate 15 System Interchange will be closed to allow for demolition of the old eastbound to northbound bridge. Traffic intending to travel westbound on Interstate 86 from northbound Interstate 15 will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange. Work will continue until Thursday when the ramp reopens at 7:30 a.m.
Originally built in the 1960s, this is the last existing bridge of the System Interchange that will need demolition as part of the $112 million redesign. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night, it is especially important that drivers be alert and proceed safely through the work zone.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are also available at https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange
Beginning tomorrow at noon the eastbound Interstate 86 to southbound Interstate 15 ramp will be closed while crews construct a temporary road to the new eastbound to southbound ramp. Eastbound traffic on I-86 looking to travel south on I-15 will be detoured north through the Northgate Interchange (Exit 73). The closed ramp will reopen late Sunday.
This work will allow the eastbound lanes to be adjusted to the grade of the new ramp. Doing the work this weekend will limit traffic impacts during the peak Labor Day weekend.
Originally built in the 1960s, the I-86 and I-15 System Interchange is undergoing $112 million of redesign work to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and 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 proceed safely through the work area.
Motorists are encouraged to use https://511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available here on ITD’s projects website —https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange
JEROME – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has installed variable speed limit signs to improve safety as crews widen I-84 between the South Jerome and Twin Falls Interchanges. The new signs are controlled remotely, allowing ITD to lower speeds when crews are working near traffic.
The current posted speed limit in the work zone is 70 mph. When crews are working near traffic, ITD will lower the speed limit, and a flashing beacon will notify drivers that speed limits have been lowered. When crews are not as close to traffic, ITD will raise the speed limits to 70 mph.
Variable speeds have been successfully implemented in other work zones, including the one on I-84 between Caldwell and Nampa. Research shows that variable speed limits reduce crashes, reduce travel times, and improve safety.
The signs will be removed when construction is complete in late fall of 2025.
Details about the I-84 South Jerome to Twin Falls project are available at ITDProjects.org/84jerometotwin or by texting 84JTF to 1-866-483-8422.
The Idaho Transportation Department is continuing work on I-84 between the South Jerome (Exit 168) and Twin Falls (Exit 173) Interchanges. Crews are blasting rock in the median of I-84 on weekday afternoons through mid-July.
What you need to know:
A pilot car will slow motorists down several miles before the blast area to allow crews to blast rock and clean up debris.
Details about the I-84 South Jerome to Twin Falls project are available at ITDProjects.org/84jerometotwin or by texting 84JTF to 1-866-483-8422.
SHOSHONE — The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is seeking feedback on the just-released draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The 2024-2030 ITIP outlines the state’s transportation priorities and guides investment decisions for the next seven years. ITD encourages everyone to review the draft and provide comments from July 1-31.
Transportation projects included in the draft ITIP range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller projects like the installation of a new guardrail. Projects are located throughout Idaho’s 44 counties and involve all modes of transportation. Project selection is determined through technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents.
To review the complete draft plan visit itd.idaho.gov/funding to view an interactive map that allows users to learn about projects in their local area as well as submit a comment through the portal.
Local projects in the program include:
Comments will be taken from July 1-31 and can be emailed to itipcomments@itd.idaho.gov or mailed to:
ITIP – Comments
Attn: Office of Communication
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
Paper copies of the ITIP will be provided upon request by contacting the Idaho Transportation Department (208) 334-8119.
All comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate. Responses will be sent in September 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. Once finalized, ITD staff across the state will begin scoping new projects.
Public input is crucial in ensuring that the ITIP reflects the needs and desires of Idaho’s communities.
TWIN FALLS – Lane restrictions on Perrine Bridge and Glenns Ferry Bridges are scheduled for June 20-25. Drivers can expect traffic delays across the bridges while Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) crews conduct routine bridge inspections.
Glenns Ferry Bridges
June 20-23 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Traffic on both east- and westbound bridges at milepost 121.6 on Interstate 84 will be reduced to one lane in either direction when crews begin work on the eastbound bridge with an 11-ft width lane restriction starting Tuesday, June 20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Westbound right-lane closure will begin when eastbound work is completed.
June 24-25 from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane in either direction while crews move from the south end of the bridge to the north end with an 11-ft width lane restriction:
– Southbound right lane closure: Saturday, June 24 from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
– Northbound right lane closure: Sunday, June 25 from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“These special bridge inspections only take a couple of days to accomplish, while routine inspections take a week or more and both are important to ensure the safety and longevity of our state bridges,” said ITD Bridge Inspector Amy Bower.
ITD, Idaho State Police, and local law enforcement caution motorists to slow down and pay attention when driving in work zones, where increased speeding fines and other penalties apply. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov for information on the state highway or interstate system.
SHOSHONE – UPDATE – Commuter motorists will be detoured in-town around the Shoshone railroad construction zone while trucks will be detoured onto to highways.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) asks drivers in the Shoshone area to plan ahead, as a section of U.S. Route 26 at milepost 165.93 will be closed for railroad repair May 16-18.
The crossing will be closed to motorists starting on Tuesday, May 16 at 6 a.m. and will reopen when work is complete by approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 18. To receive the most current traffic updates, call 511 or sign up at 511.idaho.gov.
Union Pacific Railroad Company will conduct repairs to address the aging infrastructure and includes removing old steel tracks and replacing with new steel tracks, concrete slabs, and asphalt.
Commuter motorists will be detoured in-town around the Shoshone railroad construction zone. All commercial trucks traveling northbound on U.S. Route 93 wishing to proceed toward Shoshone will be detoured west on U.S. Route 26. Those traveling southbound on State Highway 75 wishing to proceed toward Shoshone will be detoured west on U.S. Route 20. The closure and detour will remain for approximately three days until the railroad crossing repairs are completed.
ITD, Idaho State Police, and local law enforcement caution motorists to slow down and pay attention when driving in work zones, where increased speeding fines and other penalties apply. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov for information on the state highway or interstate system.
