Untitled Document

Board approves FLAP, reviews truck safety and authorizes a D1 road transfer

Approval of the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), a review of safety requirements for extra long and heavier trucks, and a road transfer in north Idaho were topics of discussion for the Idaho Transportation Board Feb. 18 at ITD Headquarters in Boise.

Approval of Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP)
The FLAP is to improve transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within federal lands. The program supplements state and local resources for public roads, transit systems and other transportation facilities, with an emphasis on high-use recreation sites and economic generators.

In October, the board concurred with a prioritized list of 15 candidate projects. Since then, the Idaho Program Decision Committee, comprised of a representative from Western Federal Lands, ITD and the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, selected 10 projects for funding.

The board approved adding the 10 projects totaling approximately $28 million to the Idaho Transportation Investment Program. Some of those projects are Bogus Basin Road Safety, Maintenance, and Trailhead in Ada County; Snake River Road/Bear Creek Road in Bonneville County; Dixie Road Crack/Chip Seal in Idaho County; Priest River Boat Access in Bonner County; and Yale-Kilgore Road Improvements in Fremont County.

Safety requirements for extra length, excess weight and up to 129,000-pound vehicle combinations.
Staff summarized the safety-related requirements outlined in administrative rules for extra length, excess weight and up to 129,000-pound vehicle combinations.

Some of the requirements include all axles must be equipped with brakes that meet federal regulations, permits are vehicle specific, power units shall have adequate power and traction to maintain a minimum of 20 miles per hour under normal operating conditions on an up-grade, and movement is prohibited in hazardous weather.

The board discussed other possible safety requirements that could be implemented such as requiring vehicle inspections as part of the permitting process and requiring chains on additional grades. Currently, under severe weather conditions, chains are required on three grades in the state: Lookout Pass and Fourth of July Pass on Interstate 90 and Lolo Pass on U.S. 12.

The board also expressed concern with enforcement. Idaho State Police (ISP) informed the Subcommittee on 129,000 Pound Truck Routes last month that approximately 20 percent of vehicles inspected are put out of commission, mainly due to safety violations. The board asked staff to provide more information on enforcement and ITD’s and ISP’s resources.

Relinquishment of former U.S. 95 to Lakes Highway District, District 1
The GARVEE Program constructed a four-lane divided highway with frontage roads from Garwood to Sagle on U.S. 95 north of Coeur d’Alene. Construction was completed last fall.

The district entered into a cooperative agreement with Lakes Highway District to transfer the approximate 23 lane miles of frontage roads and an existing portion of U.S. 95 that now functions as a frontage road in the Athol area. The agreement also required ITD to sealcoat the frontage roads prior to relinquishing them to the local jurisdiction. Because the contractor on the U.S. 95 construction project was not able to supply the aggregate for the sealcoat on time, staff proposed an addendum to the agreement stipulating that ITD will pay a lump sum of $377,500 to Lakes Highway District and the local agency will be responsible for sealcoating the frontage roads.

The board approved the addendum and the official minute authorizing relinquishment of the frontage roads and former portion of U.S. 95 to Lakes Highway District.