8/17/2012

Leadership Summit
Leadership Summit receives great reviews
Called “the best leadership training I have ever had,” by one participant, ITD brought more than 200 department employees and agency partners together for an intense day of learning how to improve customer service by becoming better leaders. ITD’s Leadership Summit, held last week at Boise Centre, gave participants a wide range of learning experiences and the opportunity to hear from proven leaders, both in government and in the private sector.
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Wildfires
Governor Issues State Declaration due to Wildfires
Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter issued a state disaster declaration today to support firefighting efforts after Elmore County, the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and the Great Basin Multi-Agency Command requested State of Idaho assistance in responding to fires across Idaho.
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Highway Safety
U.S. Department of Transportation Releases New “Faces of Distracted Driving” Video
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released the latest video in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Faces of Distracted Driving” series, featuring the story of John T. Gordon from Marion, Ohio.
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Maintenance
ITD saves nearly $8,000 by Doing it Themselves
ITD maintenance crews in Hammett recently saved a pocketful of money by practicing the DIY principle. On an ongoing project in the area to replace some 436 linear feet of broken-out concrete panels in the Cold Springs Creek Canal that runs under I-84 at Exit 114 between Hammett and Glenns Ferry, the contract bid had not accounted for about 1,100 linear feet of vertical joint seams that already existed in the canal that needed to be cleaned and sealed.
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Employees
Jones retirement from ITD marks end of family era
Helen Jones walked away from ITD in early August after nearly three decades, taking with her not only the legacy she herself had left us, but also a half century of the Ostrogorsky family name.
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Highway Maintenance
Encore (8-10-12) Crews replace culvert near New Meadows
A project that drew accolades from city officials in New Meadows recently eliminated a bottleneck for winter runoff and a recurring concern for maintenance workers. The culvert under U.S. 95 habitually clogs with debris in the spring and prevents runoff from -- well, running off. That occasionally sends the water over the highway surface.
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Encore (8-10-12) Crews replace crushed culvert
Viewed at night, a culvert on Idaho 55 in Boise looks more like modern art than a water passage. But the crushed center part of the culvert is problematic, not asthetic. It constricts water flow and creates a significant maintenance concern. ITD crews began replacing the culvert at the highway's intersection with Hill Road last week.
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