Transportation board to begin annual district tours in Lewiston
The Idaho Transportation Board will launch its annual visit to each district next week with its tour of District 2 projects and a business meeting in Lewiston.
Stops on Wednesday’s tour include the Grangeville Airpor where board members will t to learn more about that facility and the Idaho Forest Group to tour the lumber mill and discuss economic impacts that transportation has on the mill. Several bridge projects also will be viewed as the group travels on U.S. 95 to Lewiston.
The business meeting will be conducted at the District 2 office, 2600 Frontage Road, on Thursday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. (PDT).
Business meeting discussion
Drivers’ license reciprocity agreement
The board will hear a report about the recent memorandum of understanding (MOU) ITD signed with the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea. The reciprocal agreement will make it easier for citizens from Idaho residing in Korea and Korean citizens residing in Idaho to obtain their driver’s license.
The MOU provides that when a Korean citizen with a Korean driver’s license applies for an Idaho driver’s license, or when an Idaho citizen with an Idaho driver’s license applies for a Korean driver’s license, the skills test will be waived without further driver’s education.
All other requirements remain in effect.
The agreement applies to drivers age 18 or older and does not apply to making application to operate a commercial motor vehicle or motorcycle. Additionally, a skills test and/or medical documentation attesting to physical or mental capabilities in situations where the driver’s license examiner has cause to believe the person is not physically or mentally qualified to operate a motor vehicle may be required.
Forest Highway Program
ITD, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Western Federal Lands Highways Division (WFLHD) form the Tri-Agency Group, which has oversight of the Forest Highway Program. The average annual funding for this program is close to $14 million, with a 100-percent federal share. The group met earlier this year to discuss projects and recommend changes to the FY12-16 Forest Highway Program.
The board will be asked to approve the recommended changes in the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The proposed changes include advancing Forest Highway (FH) 60, Manning Crevice Bridge from FY13 to FY12 and increasing the cost from $4.7 million to $7 million.
The project on Salmon River Road will be delivered through a construction management/general contractor contract under the direction of WFLHD. A new project is being proposed in FY12: Avery Landing Clean-up on FH-50 in Shoshone County. The Environmental Protection Agency will award the contract for the hazardous materials cleanup. FHWA has an obligation because right-of-way that is held by FHWA was acquired from a previous expansion of the forest highway.
Some of the other projects scheduled in FY12 include a rock scaling project on FH26 in Custer County and replacing Davey’s Bridge and rockfall mitigation on the Banks – Lowman Highway (FH24) in Boise County.
Funding for FY13-17 Highway Investment Program
A discussion also is planned on federal and state capital funding assumptions and proposed investment decisions for funding the FY13-17 Highway Investment Program.
Funding expectations depend heavily on the assumption that federal funding will continue at FY11 levels. ITD personnel estimate an average of $282.6 million in federal and $24.8 million in state funding will be available for construction annually in the FY13-17 Program.
The discussion will help lay the foundation to update the program. A workshop on the draft program is scheduled in June, followed by a public comment period. The final program will be submitted to the board for approval in September.
Published 4-13-2012