Expanding the highway to four lanes on a new alignment will not only add capacity and reduce travel times but also significantly improve safety.
New alignment Construction underway Controlled blasting to resume throughout springThe 2023 construction season began in early February. Work will take place near Eid Road and will include building a rock embankment for the site of the two new bridges and excavation on the north side of Reisenauer Hill. Controlled blasting is expected to resume weekly and continue throughout the spring.
It is anticipated that drivers will be able to take the new route in fall of 2024.
The new alignment will tie in at Reisenauer Hill, where the current four-lane section ends, and reconnect near the grain bins on the south end of Moscow.
Compared to the existing route, after construction US-95 will ascend at a gentler grade up Reisenauer Hill to the prairie below Paradise Ridge. The highway will cut through small hills below the ridge to maintain a consistent grade, cross over Eid Road via two bridges and descend into Moscow.
Generally, US-95 will be shifted to the east less than three-quarters of a mile, and ITD is in the process of relinquishing its jurisdiction of what will be old US-95 to North Latah Highway District.
With a flatter grade and fewer approaches, the new route will provide safer travel between Moscow and Lewiston.
About 6.5 miles of highway will be expanded to four lanes divided by a 34-foot median in the rural section. Shoulders will be widened, curves will be made easier to navigate and the grade will be less steep. New ditches will keep precipitation from gathering on the roadway, and a 30-foot clear zone will provide a safe area if a vehicle goes off the road.
County road intersections will have right and left turn lanes, and some current access points will be combined to limit the number of new intersections and driveways.
In the urban section just south of Moscow, a center turn lane, curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be added.
As part of Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative, the 2021 Idaho Legislature dedicated $126 million of one-time funds from Idaho’s budget surplus to transportation projects statewide. The funds were split 60/40 between ITD and local jurisdictions. This project is partially paid for with ITD’s portion of the funds that will accelerate projects to replace bridges, restore pavements, and improve mobility in communities across Idaho.