ITD seeking public input on upcoming projects

The Idaho Transportation Department wants to hear from North Idaho residents regarding proposed projects on the horizon.

The window to provide public comment on the draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program is open through July 31. 

“It’s the draft plan for the state’s priorities and guides what their investment decisions are going to look like over the next seven years,” ITD public information officer Heather McDaniel said Thursday.

Comments on the Idaho Transportation Investment Program are annually accepted through the month of July to give community members opportunities to share their opinions on which projects they feel are most important for ITD to address and in what order.

This draft ITIP shows plans for $6.9 billion in funding, with $200 million dedicated to pavements and $100 million dedicated to bridges each year.  

“Public involvement is really important to pretty much everything that we do at ITD,” McDaniel said. “The whole reason we exist is to serve the community of people that lives within our district.” 

She said state resources are limited, so public input is critical for prioritization purposes.

"We like to give people the opportunity to weigh in and hear about where people think we should make those investments," McDaniel said.

Projects range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller-scale projects such as the installation of new guardrails. All modes of transportation are involved in ongoing and proposed projects throughout all of Idaho's 44 counties.

In Kootenai County, ITD will enhance the intersection of State Highway 54 at Brig Road by adding turn bays for safety in conjunction with a State Park Project to relocate the Farragut State Park visitors center in 2025.

A project was added in 2030 to add turn bays on State Highway 41 at Diagonal Road near Rathdrum to reduce congestion and increase safety for turning drivers.

Frontage roads will be constructed and improvements will be made at the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 at Parks Road near Athol in 2031. This project will eliminate left turn and through movements from Parks Road onto Highway 95 for safety.

Farther north, construction will take place in 2029 on State Highway 200 from milepost 55 to the Montana state line to rehabilitate the pavement surface.

“With the growth of traffic accelerating the need for improvements and the impacts of inflating costs since 2020, the added annual investment in highway pavement and bridge repairs proposed in this draft ITIP plan will provide the Idaho Transportation Board effective options to consider looking ahead for Idaho,” Chief Deputy Director Dan McElhinney said in a July 1 news release.

General comments on the ITIP are accepted, as well as input on specific projects that are organized by category, year and program. In 2023, McDaniel said over 150 comments were submitted in Region 1, which encompasses the five northern counties. She said the input ITD receives will 100% impact how work is prioritized. Comments may even serve as tie-breakers depending on the interest in one project over another.

“It just goes to show that people really do care about being involved in that decision-making process and having their voices heard," she said.

Comments can be emailed to itipcomments@itd.idaho.gov, recorded at 208-334-8063 or mailed to:
ITIP — Comments
Attn: Abby Peterson
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707 

Paper copies of the ITIP are available at regional offices and will be provided upon request by contacting ITD at 208-334-4455.  

Comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate. Responses will be sent by September. 

After approval by the Idaho Transportation Board in September, the ITIP will then be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency in October.  

Visit Itd.idaho.gov/funding for details.