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Idaho Highway News 1959: overpasses, interstates, landmark buildings

The Corvette was the rage in 1959. That year also featured "The Day The Music Died," with the passing of Buddy Holly, Richie Vakens and the Big Bopper in a tragic plane wreck. Marilyn Monroe had a strong hold on hearts and minds across the country. According to the Idaho Highway News of the day, a few other seminal events were taking shape closer to home:

HIGHWAY DEPARMENT GETS APPROVAL FOR CONSTRUCTION OF BOISE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING
Last week, Governor Robert E. Smylle signed the bill authorizing expenditure of $2 million in state highway funds for a new highway department headquarters office building. The building will also be used by the Department of Law Enforcement.

The bill received approval of the Senate by a vote of 32 to 11, and later won approval in the House of Representatives by a 40 to 16 vote.

The new structure will be built on a 36-acre site on State Street on the western outskirts of Boise, about two miles from the present location. It will take approximately 18 months to construct the building.

In making request for the appropriation, the State Highway Board estimated the state will save $50O,O00 over a l0-year period in rentals now being paid.

A NEW RECORD:
Approximately $35 million was spent and obligated for improvement, modernization and the building of our highway systems in 1958. More than $29 million of road construction contracts were initiated. The average annual construction contract during the four calendar years 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957 was $15.030,829, whereas the volume of contracts in 1958 exceeded this by 100%.

INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS
The major network of Idaho’s highway system is rapidly taking on a new look in highway development. Construction progress on the 611 miles of Idaho’s Interstate highway system can now be easily recognized by the motorist in northern, southern and southeastern Idaho. More than 6O miles of our interstate highways were contracted for construction during 1958.

It has been estimated that the interstate system, when completed and fully opened to traffic, will save up to 4,00O lives per year, primarily through complete separation of traffic at intersections by using overpasses at crossings.

In 1958, Idaho experienced 14,220 traffic accidents. Three thousand one hundred eighteen (3,II8) of these accidents occurred at intersections. From January through July of this year, we've had 8,151 traffic accidents and 2,565 of these misfortunes took place at intersections.

Obviously, when vehicles enter or leave main roadways, make turn movements or pass through intersections, they are being exposed to the hazards of collision with other vehicles within the intersection zones. Even with the use of modern traffic signals and control devices, a conventional grade-level intersection is probably the most dangerous portion of any highway.

Modern interchanges of the type being provided on the interstate system routes will almost eliminate the dangers of collision at such points if they are properly used. All intersecting traffic will be separated onto various levels. Traffic entering or leaving the main highway will do so on one-way ramps. A turning vehicle will at no time be in contact with a stream of traffic moving in the opposite direction.

DISTRICT V – COEUR D’ALENE
District #5 is now carrying out the largest construction program that it has ever undertaken. Three large interstate projects are underway, as well as six lesser projects. There are better than $8,000,000 under contract at the present time.