US-95 slide, impaired driving response training,
and federal funding of local projects highlight
August meeting of Idaho Transportation Board

A status update on the US-95 rockslide, impaired driving information and response training, federal funding and local priorities, and a safety message were the highlights from the Idaho Transportation Board's August 20 meeting.

Safety/Security Share
The Ameeting opened with a safety and security share by District 2 Engineering Manager Bob Schumacher. Fire danger is high throughout the state. He encouraged checking the 511 Idaho Traveler Information System for road closures and urged caution to prevent fires, especially from vehicles: avoid parking hot vehicles on dry vegetation and make sure nothing is dragging that can cause sparks, like trailer chains.

Schumacher also warned about scams. He stressed the importance of verifying the credibility of the caller if financial or personal information is involved and check the validity of the message and the sender before responding to emails. He gave the example of an individual who called District 2 to report an email that said she ran a stoplight and had to pay her ticket in two days.

ITD does not issue nor enforce traffic violations. Staff confirmed that it was a scam.

District 2 rockslide
District 2 provided an update on the US-95 rock slide near Riggins. The initial slide closed the main north-south highway on July 3. That was followed by a more severe slide on July 10. Pollock Road was used as a detour until the shoo-fly around the slide could be created, cleared and opened to traffic on July 27. Bids for a project to address the slide were opened on August 17 and the contract was awarded to Scarsella Brothers Inc. for $3 million.

The contractor plans to remove about 14,000 cubic yards of material, by drilling 130 holes for blasting, and using 6,000 pounds of explosives. The blasting is expected to take five to seven days, followed by another five to seven days to remove the debris and reopen the US-95 shoo-fly, which will need to be closed during this work. Work commenced Aug. 24 on the rock face, and the road surface will then be repaired. The project should be completed around November 1.

Drugged-driving initiatives
The board heard about the continuing concerns with impaired drivers. Fatalities from impaired-driving crashes increased 26.9% from 2018 to 2019. Forty-four percent of all highway fatalities in the state were caused by impaired driving last year.

The Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program is a valuable tool to address the impaired driving problem. The program provides 80 hours of intensive training to law enforcement officers to better equip them to evaluate the impairment of a suspect. The officer determines if the subject is impaired, what drug (or category of drug) is causing the impairment, and/or if a medical condition is causing the impairment. Currently, there are 124 DREs throughout the state.

Impairment due to marijuana is a growing concern due to its legalization in various forms by most neighboring states. The Office of Highway Safety, in partnership with the Office of Drug Policy, has an impaired-driving campaign focusing on marijuana underway.

Staff also reported that there have been 111 highway fatalities so far this year, compared to 145 at this time last year.

Local public agencies end-of-year plan and prioritization
In anticipation of receiving additional federal funds, the local highway jurisdictions prepared a list of prioritized projects. The 2020 commitments are the highest priority for funding, followed by special commitments, such as the Cherry Lane Bridge, and then other projects in out years that are ready, starting with 2021 projects. Because the total available funding is unknown at this time, the list is extensive so local highway jurisdictions will be ready to obligate all available funds.

Currently, the available local allotments total $11.1 million and include savings, prior-year released funds, and unused scheduled funds that are available to cover cost increases or to advance projects. The board approved the prioritized lists by program: Local Urban; Rural, Local Bridge, Off System Bridge; and Local Safety.

Projects will be obligated as funding becomes available, and the priorities are contingent on delivery and cost estimating.

Published 08-28-20