The Wolf Lodge Interchange in North Idaho was experiencing issues that ITD needed to address—it had a substandard vertical clearance for the busy larger truck traffic traveling on I-90 east of Coeur-d’Alene, it was showing excessive cracks, and it was generally showing signs of age. To make this structure safer, ITD replaced the interchange—a $5 million project—with a higher clearance, making it a much easier one for trucks to navigate.
ITD used ultra high-performance concrete, a material used internationally but not as widely used in the state or even in the country. The project also used adaptive lighting on the interchange—when the technology doesn’t pick up a car in the area, the lights dim. When a car is detected, the lights brighten. This allows drivers the safety they need while also addressing local residents’ concerns about protecting the visibility of the night sky. The project utilized Accelerated Bridge Construction, saving time and minimizing the impact on drivers, who are now safer and better able to navigate the interchange with bigger trucks.
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