3/8/2013

Highways
Interchanges will continue Treasure Valley transformation
Three interchanges on Interstate 84 – at Meridian Road, Broadway Avenue and Gowen Road – will be replaced starting early next year, and a third lane will be added between Broadway and Gowen. The ITD projects will improve safety, enhance commerce and reduce congestion.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Research project could improve winter maintenance
The application of highway treatments before and during storm events largely is based on data captured at nearly 100 Road Weather Information Sites (RWIS) sites throughout the state. Idaho State University senior Jake Kopplow wants to remove much of the subjective part of the decision-making process and replace it with an automated system
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Employees
Advantage system upgrade planned for Tuesday
ITD’s transition to the next generation of AMS Advantage will be complete when version 3.9 goes live Tuesday, said project manager Cynthia LaJoy. The current version, Advantage 3.7, will be unavailable for financial processing/payments and for timesheet recording on Monday.
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Scenic Byway
IPTV's Outdoor Idaho to focus on byways
Idaho’s rugged vistas and scenic beauty have generated international renown. Just as striking, though, is the web of highways that provide access to those recreational and tourist destinations and Idaho's unique geographic and cultural amenities.
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Employees
Board to honor employees for longevity, retirement
The Idaho Transportation Board and ITD leaders will celebrate the professional achievements of Headquarters employees during the semiannual Employee Service Awards presentation March 19. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m.
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Highway safety
Don’t depend on luck when driving this St. Patrick’s Day
The proverbial "Luck of the Irish" is an intriguing concept, but it doesn't extend to driving and alcohol consumption. Mixing the two can have dire consequences whether you're Irish or not. Safe travel to and from St. Patrick’s Day festivities requires a determination to not drive after drinking, ITD reminds motorists.
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Highways
Construction begins on new Chubbuck Interchange
Construction was to start this week on Idaho’s first diverging diamond interchange.The diverging diamond interchange, or DDI, will replace an existing interchange at U.S. 91 and Interstate 86 in Chubbuck. Lane closures on U.S. 91 (Yellowstone Avenue) will be allowed during the evening hours.
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Public involvement
Citizens weigh in U.S. 95 Council alternate route
Comments gathered at a recent public hearing in Council ranged from support for a planned alternate route to concerns about how a holding pond will affect property values. The hearing, held at the Council High School, was designed to give residents the opportunity to submit comments on a proposed new U.S. 95 route in Council.
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Public transportation
PTAC to discuss mobility management analysis, funding shortfall
The Public Transportation Advisory Committee (PTAC) will meet via statewide teleconference to request support for moving forward with a Statewide Mobility Management System analysis. A review of the Statewide Mobility Management Program funding shortfall also will be discussed.
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Employees
Lunch series will feature inspirational film
Rick Finkelstein was paralyzed in a 2004 ski accident on Aspen Mountain in Colorado where he suffered a sustained spine and internal trauma. Six years, nine surgeries and a lifetime of rehabilitation later, cameras captured his dramatic return to Aspen in “The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising.”
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Employees
Blue Cross fills information gap on healthcare reform
Blue Cross of Idaho; If you have questions about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or "healthcare reform," you're not alone. We're here to keep you informed about the basics of the law.
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Best of the Best
Encore (3-1-13): Two ITD projects receive ACEC national awards
And the awards for best engineering and construction projects and their supporting casts go to … Two Idaho projects will join the “red carpet” recognition next month when the American Council of Engineering Consultants presents its annual project awards in Washington, D.C.
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Education outreach
Encore (3-1-13): Eighth-grade girls learn about career options in engineering
When eighth-grade girls took part in the “Build Your City” exercise as part of Engineering Girls Day at ITD, they were introduced to every aspect of engineering short of nuclear. It turns out a uranium-enrichment facility was not on the short list of necessities for the mythical township they were creating.
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Highways
Encore (3-1-13): Idaho shows improvement in some highway condition categories
A report on the condition of the nation’s highway system ranked Idaho third for improvements to its rural interstates and third in improvements to its rural principal arterial highway conditions.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Encore (3-1-13): Program serves disadvantaged businesses
Wherever Liz Healas goes in Idaho (and she is very well-traveled) she tends to draw an enthusiastic, inquisitive crowd. Participants come with questions and leave with answers. Healas is the lone contact in Idaho for business owners who want to share a role in transportation projects as certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
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