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May 2010

Ceremony officially opens Thousand Springs kiosk
U.S. Highway 30 was once the only way to travel from one end of the Magic Valley to the other as it winded through farms and little communities following the old Oregon Trail south of the Snake River canyon. Then came the interstate and the draw of higher-speed travel. Decades later, many travelers are once again finding out what it was like on the highways, discovering the local culture and seeing the natural wonders hidden from drivers on Interstate 84.
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Idaho 21 avalanche closures hit record low
For the second straight winter, a new standard has been set for keeping the state’s notorious "Avalanche Alley" section of Idaho 21 between the Grandjean Junction turnoff and Banner Summit open during the avalanche season. This winter, there were four closures, totaling nine days. That broke the record of 21 days, set last year.
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I-84/Vista interchange receives engineering award
The accolades keep mounting for the reconstruction project at the I-84, Vista Interchange in Boise. The American Society of Civil Engineers (Southern Idaho Chapter) awarded Stanley Consultants, the group that designed Vista, with the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award April 27. It was the fourth award for the project.
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Summit provides crash course on saving lives
A strong highway safety effort not only saves lives but also can lead to lower health-care costs and reduced crime said speakers at the 2010 Highway Safety Summit, sponsored recently by ITD’s Office of Highway Operations and Safety in Boise. More than 265 law enforcement officers, medical personnel and highway safety professionals heard a sobering presentation of the physics and physical consequences of high-speed crashes by keynote speaker Pam Holt.
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District 1 bids farewell, says welcome to foremen
It isn’t often that a district loses nearly 130 years of experience in one fell swoop, but that’s what happened recently in District 1 when four maintenance foremen headed into retirement. In the past two months, Jim Stam (32 years), Judd Reed (37 years), Greg Munden (33 years) and Mike Hutchinson (26 years) said good-bye to their ITD family and set out to enjoy some well-deserved fun time.
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Early data shows 35 percent decline in fatalities for first four months
Idaho motor vehicle fatalities declined by more than one-third during the first four months of 2010, according to preliminary ITD data. Early numbers from ITD show 40 motor vehicle fatalities occurred in Idaho from January through April, a decline of more than 35 percent. Last year, 62 people died during the same four-month period.
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ITD agreement pioneers traffic control during wildfires
ITD and the Idaho Department of Lands recently signed a memorandum of understanding that is the first of its kind in the nation to align wildland fire traffic control with the federal “Incident Sign Installation Guide.” The agreement, completed in April, specifies the roles of both state agencies when a forest or range fire impacts the transportation system.
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ITD teams with Department of Labor to present career fairs
Who will replace today’s retirees after they leave the construction workforce? How will today’s young adults prepare to inherit those jobs? And who will provide the training? Those concerns are being addressed through a series of job fairs jointly organized by ITD and the Idaho Department of Labor. ITD secured a $38,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to help fund the series of eight career fairs and workshops held throughout the state this year.
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Idaho communities to benefit from new bridges
Weiser and Payette stand 15 miles apart in rural Southwest Idaho. Although they reside in different counties, Weiser (in Washington County) and Payette (in Payette County) have many things in common. They are about to share anther commonality – new bridges.
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