ITD debuts vehicle for minor roadway emergencies

HAYDEN — Traffic has a history of slowing down on Interstate 90 when a vehicle runs out of gas or has a dead battery.  

With North Idaho's new Incident Response Vehicle, Idaho Transportation Department officials are hoping to quickly handle roadway issues and keep traffic moving.    

ITD spokeswoman Heather McDaniels said thanks to a donation from District Three of ITD, District One has its own multi-purpose vehicle that’s prepared for just about any minor emergency. 

“This is largely in response to the upcoming expansion of I-90 between Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls,” McDaniels said. “We’ve got nearly 63,000 vehicles a day pump through that corridor.” 

The vehicle will be in service between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. The four-day schedule was based on traffic volume peak hours and crash data, but ITD may shift that schedule to accommodate changing traffic patterns.

“If they need a gallon to get down the road to a safe turnout or if somebody’s battery dies and they need a jump, if somebody slides off into a ditch, we can do minor push/pull maneuvers with them,” McDaniels said. 

The vehicle is also anticipated to assist with projects at the State Highway 41 Interchange and along the U.S. 95 corridor stretching from the Spokane River Bridge to Lancaster Road through Coeur d'Alene.

District One ITD fleet manager Ryan Crabtree said the driver will patrol work zones on I-90 and be dispatched by Idaho State Police as part of a new partnership.

“Our goal is to try and bring another level of safety in North Idaho,” Crabtree said.   

The vehicle, valued at about $100,000, will carry pumps for flat tires, road flares, oil absorbent and even an automated external defibrillator in the event of a medical emergency. 

“Hopefully we don’t have to ever use it, but we have it if we need it, we’ve been looking to do this for a while,” Crabtree said. “It gives you some nice peace of mind.”  

    Ryan Crabtree of the Idaho Transportation Department is manager for the local fleet for ITD district one. Thanks to a donation from the Boise area, the I-90 corridor will have motorist support from an Incident Response Vehicle Tuesday to Thursday during construction work.
  

    The Incident Response Vehicle was donated to ITD district one from the Boise area to help support I-90 motorists. The vehicle will relieve Idaho State Police from responding to flat tires or other minor roadway emergencies. Some medical equipment will be included, such as an automated external defibrillator will also be in the vehicle to assist in the event of a medical emergency.