old US-91 in Idaho. Between the full moon and the snow, it was bright enough to drive without headlights!

Interstate Ninety. Appropriately, I’m doing ninety. The storm behind on top of me, threatening wind and rain and snow, is doing ninety as well. This oughta be fun, especially since I am obligated to stop at every exit to look for old signs…

Snowfall in the canyons along old 91. Somewhere around McCammon if I recall correctly.

Dawn. Snowplows hard at work. We’re now on US-93, having crossed from US-91 on US-26 in the middle of the night.

Did I mention we’re crossing the Rockies in winter?

Approaching the mountain pass. Yep, it is totally snowed over.

Lost Trails Pass, 1945? Nope, I just did something badly wrong with a layer in Photoshop and I liked the result. Looks like some dodgy old film photo!

Our first Montana sign. We’re not even in Montana yet!

There we go.

Montana has reasonable speed limits. This is for a winding two-lane mountain road!

All highway signs buried under six feet of snow, for your convenience.

It is recommended that you do not exceed 25… but we won’t cite you for anything under 70 90.

What’s this, the skies clear up?

A house on the hill.

An old US-93 alignment yields this truss bridge.

And here, as promised, is Inflatable Biker Santa!

What’s this about old US-10? Someone never got the memo that the road isn’t called that anymore. There are a bunch of very recent US-10 signs at the Missoula airport.

Interstate shields with the state name are uncommon in Montana. They’d be rare if the state bothered to take down the old signs, but they don’t. Here is one in Missoula. This gantry dates back to 1975. Gotta love the state name … with the missing letter and a half!

Somewhat old signs in Missoula. Note the custom Montana font – especially noticeable on the “S” in BUSINESS.

Back on I-90, and the snowstorm is here. We’ll be racing it for at least a hundred miles.

If we bear down and head east, we can outrun it.

This is not a night shot – this is what happens when I fudge up the camera settings because I’ve turned back west, into the teeth of a raging gale, and I have about three seconds to take this picture before I am swept off the road.

Oh deer.

Somewhere in there, the sun has set on us. That bright object straight ahead to the east is the moon rising.

Auto-focus fail. Too bad, because this was a great 1960s US-287 shield, complete with rare Series A font. When I went back to find it in December, 2009, it had been replaced. The shield likely dated back to 1965, when US-287 was extended northward from Yellowstone.

A transitional style – wider fonts, but still keeping the square shield. 1970s.

Old US-10 heading to the moon.

Here is a nice 90 shield that time has forgotten. It is a 36×36 example (most of the ones we have seen are 24×24) – meaning it was once intended to be posted on the freeway itself. Instead, it was placed at a junction, and therefore will likely survive a lot longer than the mainline example I posted above.

Merry Christmas from US-10 in Bozeman.

US-10 is long gone, but its branch route, US-310, remains – and, in fact, begins here, branching off from old, unsigned US-10. Don’t mind the interstate shield with no state name – pay attention instead to the secondary route with the arrowhead design. I have no idea why Montana doesn’t use the cool arrowhead for its primary state routes, and the boring square for the secondary ones.

This classic 1961-spec US-310 shield is still around. Note the “west” banner. US-310 is north-south but here it happens to be running west for a few blocks before it terminates, though it came north from Wyoming.

Business 90 in Billings. Dig the small numbers – someone put 7″ digits on this shield where 8″ would be the 1958 standard. Here is where I-94 branches off I-90, and heads as far east as Windsor, Ontario Detroit, Michigan. We will next follow I-94… all the way to the North Dakota border, just so in daylight we can retrace our path and head back west on old US-10.

next up: I-94 and old US-10 in the eastern half of Montana, with perhaps a photo of North Dakota or two… and then, down to Wyoming and Colorado.

here is the first day of that trip – the Bay Area to Arco, Idaho.

The Sierras, in southeast Oregon. Just about the northernmost extent of this mountain range.

Not an incredibly old sign, but likely 1980s. Note the state name on the 80 shield – Nevada doesn’t often do that for green guide signs.

Between nothing and nowhere. 95 goes through a very barren and remote section of southeastern Oregon and I was hoping for old signs… alas, no such thing did I find. As far as I know, there are no more OREGON/US cutout shields left. The last one was a 97 in Klamath Falls. There are some of the state route eagle shields left, however.

A hilariously incorrect sign.

Remote post offices of the world: Arock, Oregon. Note the 1950s-style mail dropbox tied to the tree!

Now that is a remote road. It’s a 4×4 trail between eastern Oregon and western Idaho. Interestingly, it is labeled on the Rand McNally map, but good luck with actually taking it!

We’re in Idaho now, and the precipitation keeps getting worse.

Old Idaho historic marker. Note the narrow fonts on the US-95 shield and the number 192 (which identifies this particular marker).

How about a state-named Idaho shield? They are very rare, but here’s one in Boise. There are three altogether in the same area, and they are all brand new. 2005 or so vintage.

Snow clouds at dusk. I-84 eastbound near Twin Falls, Idaho.

1960s cutout “welcome to Idaho” sign! The border between Utah and Idaho on old US-30S, which was bypassed by I-80N (later renamed I-84) by the 1960s.

Identify this matter. It is ice on the top of a steel gas pump, in the appropriately named Snowville, Utah. I do not remember how the place was lit up to provide this effect.

The last state-named shields in Utah. Where? Under these two. Note the original 1960s wooden arrows. The new aluminum signs were simply bolted onto the older wooden ones!

Another section of old US-191. 191 is a strange one: it originally went from Yellowstone to Salt Lake City, and then it got truncated (thus the “old” remnants) around southern Wyoming… and then it got extended, to many times its original length. It now goes from US-2 in northern Montana all the way to the Mexico border in Douglas, Arizona. It ends up not even intersecting the severely truncated US-91, which it once connected to.

How about an old white guide sign pointing to a town that no longer exists? Okay, half an old white guide sign!

Grain elevator by the side of old US-91 somewhere in southeast Idaho.

Christmas decorations in rural Idaho, two days before the holiday itself.

Old US-91 in the middle of the night. Note the snowglow in the air – a full moon is reflected off the ground, and then again the clouds in the sky… it was bright enough at midnight to drive without headlights!

And that’s all for our run from the bay area to Idaho in one night and one day and a bit of another night. Next up, we pick up in Arco, Idaho – and head north into Montana on US-93. Lost Trails Pass, Inflatable Biker Santa, old signs along US-10, and of course snowstorm after snowstorm.

What do we have here? An original I-90 trailblazer, complete with green sign back. We found a few of these in Spokane, and several modern copies with the old-style shield.

Someone made this gantry, with correct distances and accurate 1930s Washington style, for his own front yard.

Sunset in Idaho.

This may very well be the oldest sign in Washington. The 97 covers up an outline shield! It does not reflect very well after about 52 years of service.

I have no idea what is under the greenout.

The 97C shield is a patch – and no, I have no idea what is under that either.

The Crowsnest Trail gets gets its own distinct route marker. That’s a patch too – underneath it is an ordinary 3 shield.

And we’re back in the US. Here is the beginning of US-97, with the very first marker. The border patrol gave us the whole nine yards. Apparently, wanting to return to the US to catch a flight out of Seattle is, in some way, highly suspicious. Nobody drives the Alaska Highway! Ever! [Dan photo.]

This isn’t an old sign, but the style – with the pointed directionals with city names inside – is reminiscent of what Washington did from the 1920s to the 60s or so.

An older ALT 97 shield with the classic shield shape, and the period after ALT.

The highway 150 bridge over the Columbia River in Washington.

Heading north on highway 17. The sign is barely legible, but the photo is in perfect focus. See the full-sized photo for how much the road was shimmering from the heat.

Everyone’s favorite town name. At least, it was Dan’s.

Another old 90 trailblazer, which is in slightly better shape.

Bicycle shields of Spokane, showing all the major routes through there.

This sign, complete with somewhat goofy-looking mix of 1958 and 1961 specs on the I-90 shield, also dates back to the opening of the route.

How long ago was the Maple St. Bridge tolled? Long enough that Washington still hadn’t started using button copy (mid-1960s), and the toll was a whopping 10 cents.

Ominous (but ultimately harmless) clouds over US-2 as we head northeast out of Spokane into Idaho.

A deer, by the side of an old US-2 alignment.

Almost in Idaho on US-2.

More overhead virga, but no actual rain.

We sure arrived at the wrong time of day to take photos of this old gantry at the Idaho/Washington state line. Note the black outline on the route 2. The gantry is of Idaho origin, except the state line sign was provided by Washington. Also, note in the background the green and white outline shield on the State Ave. street blade. I only spotted that when reviewing the photos – and that is not something I’ve ever seen anywhere else! [Dan photo.]

The second US-2 reassurance gantry has both the Panhandle and Selkirk route markers, as well as the Idaho scenic brown shield.

Getting near the end of sunset.

Trees to the south.

A perfectly reflecting lake behind this little tree.

The view to the north.

Sandpoint features several of these old green signs all down the main drag.

Some signs reflect better than others.

Several route 200 shields are the wide variety, but they are uncommon. [Dan photo.]

An awful photo of two signs that have lost nearly all reflectivity.

Idaho experimented with some retroreflective-background button copy signs in the 1980s.

Look at that, we’re in Montana. We were on the trail of a rumored cutout US-2 marker. We found no such thing, unfortunately.

End of route 200. We were in Montana only briefly, and cut across from 2 to 200 on state highway 56. 200 runs for over 1358 miles with a single number, running into US-2 again just west of Duluth, MN. It was given the number in the 1969. Washington route 20 was almost numbered 200 as well, but it would have split off from US-2 after a multiplex long enough that it was given a separate number. [Dan photo.]

95 does not enter Washington – and even when it did, it was for only a mile or so – but there are trailblazers for it in several places in the state. [Dan photo.]

A very thin-stroke variant of Series B, that looks pretty close to Series A, on numbers 27 and 272.

This 1960s I-90 shield survives. It may be the last 21×18 shield in Washington. [Dan photo.]

These 1960s green signs can be found at a lot of interchanges with I-90 in the Snoqualmie Pass area.

And we’re back in Seattle. Most of these green signs with both 5 and 90 on them were replaced when the Mariners got their new stadium, but a few survive.

Washington’s always liked putting their interstate shields on white squares.

This shield is old enough to have a black scotchlite (black, but retroreflects white) arrow under it. It goes back to the 1960s.

A City of Seattle sign – note the upside down letter “S”. Oh, and yes, the speed limit is six. You don’t see that very often.

Excellent old button copy in Tacoma.

An attention-getting speed limit sign made up of LEDs. [Dan photo.]

I don’t think the street where this sign is found is actually state route 7 anymore.

Tacoma’s main drag.

Getting close to the airport because we’ve got a flight to catch.

And that’s the end. About a tenth of a mile before the rental car return. Over 6500 miles in 7 days of driving.

We resumed our journey along Idaho 13 north to U.S. 12 east for the eastward trek into Montana. U.S. 12 is considered a scenic route throughout its routing in Idaho, so signs are all coloured brown (shades of the old Florida days, I tell you!). The road lives up to its scenic designation, paralleling the Lochsa River from Lowell east to McConell Mountain and Lolo Pass. Surprisingly, the road moves fast and passing opportunities are available more than you would think.

Westbound reassurance shield for U.S. 12 posted at the settlement of Lowell. The Lochsa River flows into the Clearwater Middle Fork river at Lowell. U.S. 12 parallels the waterway west to Kooskia and Kamiah.

 

At the Montana state line, which occurs at Lolo Pass (elevation 5,235 feet) is the Lolo Pass Visitor Center and Lewis and Clark Interpretive exhibit. The facility doubles as a welcome center for both states, and we were able to obtain official state maps for both Idaho and Montana there. Once U.S. 12 enters Montana, the road straightens somewhere and a generous 70 mph speed limit ensues. Much to my surprise, we encountered several tractor trailers using the road as a through route.

U.S. 12 descends to its junction and merge with U.S. 93 at Lolo. The two highways join together along a four-lane highway northward to the city of Missoula, which is the home of the University of Montana. Missoula sees U.S. 12 and 97 split, with each highway having a Business Loop to boot. The city overall acts as a regional economic hub with your typical array of strip malls, fast food chains, car dealerships, etc. on the south side. Downtown lies adjacent to the Univ. of Montana campus, and the main streets reflect that spatial relationship with a wide array of businesses and residences. Missoula bustled on our visit to the city with college students and visitors alike.

U.S. 12 east parts ways with U.S. 93 north on the south side of Missoula. U.S. 93 follows a newer bypass route to the west, while original U.S. 93 carries the Business loop moniker with U.S. 12 into downtown. The U.S. 93 bypass is not access-controlled, so businesses and other structures line the route.

Business Loop Interstate 90 cuts a swath through downtown along Broadway Street. Although the route may be officially decommissioned, signs are still in place along the entire routing. Just north of the city the land rises in the form of mountains. A Union Pacific Railroad line and the Interstate 90 freeway segregate the city from the hillside.

Business Loop Interstate 90 and U.S. 12 Business merge at the intersection of Broadway Street and Higgens Avenue in downtown Missoula. Here we look east at a reassurance shield assembly on Broadway Street as it heads toward Interstate 90 Exit 105. The University of Montana campus lies just southeast of downtown..

Montana is as they say, Big Sky Country. Our trip justified that nickname with crystal clear deep blue skies on the drive west to Idaho. Interstate 90 was lightly traveled and was one of the smoother freeways we encountered in the Pacific Northwest. Speed limits are set at 75 mph, and we averaged 75-80 along with everyone else.

Along most of Interstate 90 in western Montana are parallel alignments of old U.S. 10. Interstate 90 replaced U.S. 10 completely from Billings west to the Seattle area, however many of the old sections remain in use as Interstate Business loops (even though those also are falling by the wayside).

We spotted this old U.S. 10 bridge spanning the Clark Fork river at St. Regis (Exit 33 of Interstate 90). The old alignment spurs east to Four Mile Road, which just loops back to old U.S. 10 near this bridge. Montana 135 provides the only route out of town outside of the freeway.

One of the last undivided sections of Interstate highway is no more as widening of Interstate 90 on its trek through Lookout Pass is complete. The drive is still dramatic however, with a fast descent to Mullan some six miles west of the state line. There lies one of a handful of remaining business loops for Interstate 90 in Idaho.

At 4,680 feet, Lookout Pass represents the Montana and Idaho state line along Interstate 90. The boundary also represents the edge of the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones. For Interstate 90 westbound motorists, a 6% grade carries drivers downward over the next five miles to Mullan.

At Wallace, one of, in my humble opinion, the more interesting facets of Interstate history lies. Dubbed “the last traffic light on Interstate 90″, the signal at the intersection of Business Loop I-90 (Bank Street) at 6th Street remains in place in a permanent flash cycle. The town was bypassed by a sleek modern viaduct just north of downtown in 1991. A ceremony was actually held to bury the last traffic light hindering Interstate 90′s free flow across the country. However signals still hang on span wires in the heart of town.

A sign attached to a small wagon in Wallace directs drivers on Business Loop I-90 westbound into the heart of town where the famous last I-90 stop light remains in place. The sleek peach coloured viaduct carries four lanes of Interstate 90 overhead.

All Idaho business loops for Interstate 90 west of Osburn were decommissioned in 2005 with the exception of the one at Post Falls. Signage, for the most part, was altered to reflect the loop removals. At Coeur d’Alene, the largest city of northern Idaho, Interstate 90 straddles the scenic Coeur d’Alene Lake ahead of the city center. If you think that sprawl cannot penetrate far northern Idaho, you are sadly mistaken, as Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls are undergoing tremendous growth, and the traffic along Interstate 90 definitely reflected that.

I am unclear if Coeur d’Alene generates enough job and industry to consider itself independent of the much larger Spokane to the west. The close proximity however may relegate the city to bedroom community status to the eastern Washington city. Bedroom community status most certainly applies to Post Falls however with regards to Spokane, but perhaps also its neighbor to the east. Nonetheless all three cities are substantial for the placement in the far northwest Rockies.

Sherman Avenue eastbound at 2nd Street in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Sherman Avenue and 15th Street represent the historical path of Business Loop Interstate 90 through town. However as of 2006, all signs were removed of the designation. The city otherwise is gaining condo high rises of all things. Two were already in place along Sherman Avenue to the west of downtown, and the tall crane in the background here is in place to construct a third high rise.

Interstate 90 maintains just four lanes through the Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls area, but the freeway widens to six lanes through metro Spokane. Spokane itself looks like an older city with older high rise buildings and a more established suburban expansion. The commuting axis appears to be based upon U.S. 2 & 395 (Division Street) rather than Interstate 90. If that is the case, it is definitely a departure from the norm (see Boise and Tucson as good cases in point).

U.S. 2 east & 395 north (Division Street) northbound on the approach to Bridgeport Avenue in Spokane. The tandem follow Interstate 90 east into Spokane through to Exit 281. Division Street carries the highways north from there six miles to their split at Newport Highway.

While in town, we picked up a friend of Chris’s in north Spokane, and that took us upon Division Street for a few miles. The four to six-lane arterial teems with traffic and well established businesses and other structures. For the growing traffic woes that occur along the north-south road, WSDOT is building a new freeway for U.S. 395 to the east. Upon completion, the North Spokane Corridor (NSC) freeway will join Interstate 90 with U.S. 395 north of its split with U.S. 2 near Mead. This will alleviate traffic on Division Street for commuters between downtown and Spokane Valley to the north.

Spokane’s other freeway? Well technically it acts like a glorified off-ramp, but a short section of freeway joins Exit 282 with Washington 290 (Trent Avenue) between Interstate 90 and eastern reaches of the downtown area. For those curious about the numbering, it is not a failed Interstate 290, but rather Washington 2-90 as it relates to U.S. 2(-90). Washington, like South Carolina, uses a state road numbering system that implies loops and spurs from parent routes. So instead of South Carolina 762, it is technically South Carolina 7-62. This is why there are so many highways in the Washington 500 series.

Traveling south on the freeway connector between Washington 290 (Trent Avenue) and Interstate 90. A half-diamond interchange along the short freeway serves Second Avenue. The other Spokane area freeway carries U.S. 2 to Spokane International Airport from Interstate 90.

Sunset on us earlier that I had hoped, claiming our daylight by the time U.S. 395 splits from Interstate 90 west at Ritzville. Twilight carried us west to the magnificent Columbia River valley at Vantage. There we stopped at a view point and gazed at the deep valley below where Interstate 90 spans the Columbia along a four-lane cantilever span.

With the stars and moon overhead, Interstate 90 descends in dramatic fashion into the Columbia River valley at the town of Vantage. The Columbia flows south from British Columbia to the Tri-Cities before turning west along the Oregon and Washington border to the Pacific.

The rest of the drive was done in darkness, but we did note that only the Moses Lake Business Loop for Interstate 90 remains signed along the Interstate 90 mainline. However we did receive reports since then that the one in Cle Elum is still kicking outside of the freeway. Otherwise the drive west over the Cascades was amazing in that the Labor Day rush of traffic eastbound resulted in a 3o miles of traffic congestion well outside of the Seattle metro area. Our drive was relatively easy fortunately.

After we parted ways with Chris and Curt, we traveled south to Olympia, covering the suburban Washington 167 and 512 freeways on the way. Both roads were underpowered with just four lanes overall and an occasional six-lane section with auxiliary lanes. Without daylight, we gathered that both were rather nondescript. Day 8 took us around downtown Olympia and then south to Portland International Airport.

Chris Kalina joined Andy and I for the two-day marathon drive from Seattle east to Montana and back. To get as far east during daylight hours, the day began before sunrise in Burien, Washington with myself loading up on coffee at 5:45 am (!). We arranged to meet Chris at a park and ride lot next to Interstate 405 at Bellevue by 6:30, but a gnarly traffic accident clogged the northbound lanes of I-405 at 6:15, causing us to get there 15 minutes late. Chris also showed up late, so all was ok, and we piled into our rental car and ventured east toward Snoqualmie Pass by 7 am.

The climb eastward into the Cascade Mountains was magnificent with layers of low clouds and fog shrouding the valleys and passes of Interstate 90.

Climbing toward the West Summit interchange (Exit 52) on Interstate 90 east. Snoqualmie Pass rises to 3,022 feet and is snow covered for most of the year. During this last day of August, the temperature was already down to 37 degrees!
 

One brief stop just west of the Pass revealed a small section of two-lane concrete original U.S. 10. Old U.S. 10 is partially signed as Washington 905, and a stretch of the original roadway passes under I-90 next to a babbling brook. Also of note at the Pass are Interstate 90 Washington shields on overhead signs at Exit 64.

As we lowered into the rainshadow of the Cascades, tall trees gave way to low scrub brush and vast farmland. Just east of Cle Elum at the town of Ellensburg is the Interstate 90 junction with Interstate 82 & U.S. 97. Interstate 90 continues east to the Columbia River Valley, but Interstate 82 & U.S. 97 immediately ascend dramatically to Vanderbilt Gap.

Interstate 82 would lead us southeast to rejoin Interstate 84 near Hermiston, Oregon, rejoining that freeway en route to Boise, Idaho. Along the southward drive to the Columbia River are the longest concrete arch bridges in the United States. Named the Fred G. Redmon Memorial Bridge, the 1971-completed spans travel 1,336 feet over the Selah Creek Canyon.

Peering east at the bridge from the adjacent westbound side rest area. An eastbound area lies north of the bridge.

Further south Interstate 82 & U.S. 97 join U.S. 12 through the Yakima area. U.S. 97 veers southwest from south Yakima, but U.S. 12 remains overlapped east to junction Interstate 182. U.S. 395 later joins Interstate 82 south from the Tri-Cities to Umatilla, Oregon. 

What is wrong with this picture? Upon entering the state of Oregon, Interstate 82 splits with U.S. 395 at Exit 1, junction U.S. 730. The pull-through overhead refers to Interstate 84, even though Interstate 82 does not reach that freeway for another 10 miles! Bad ODOT!

U.S. 730 is the highest numbered U.S. highway in existance. It was number two originally as the decommissioned U.S. 830 once held the crown. That route is now Washington 14, and it meets Interstate 82 at its final Washington interchange.

Back on Interstate 84, we continued east on the freeway all the way to Boise, Idaho. Along the way are the small cities of Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City, and Ontario, all of which appear to be original railroad towns in the desert or high country of eastern Oregon. Also noteworthy along the way is the freeway rise to Deadman Pass at Umatilla Indian Reservation. Carriageways of Interstate 84 partition there to make the climb/descent between the low desert and mountains. Near the pass itself is a vista point giving drivers a vast view of the western desert. 

A phenominal view of the Oregonian desert is found at the view point pull-off of Interstate 84 eastbound on the rise to Deadmans Pass. Looking west here, Interstate 84 climbs upward to the right and vast fields of farmland spread south from Pendleton to the left.

Tree lined hills overtake the landscape from Emigrant Springs State Park eastward. The landscape remains similar through to La Grande, when Interstate 84 enters a wide plateau. Beyond there the mountains are devoid of trees for the most part as another rain shadow sets in place. By Ontario Interstate 84 lowers again and travels through farmland to the Snake River, the Idaho State line. 

U.S. 30 is relegated to act as a business loop to the Interstate 84 mainline through the cities of eastern Oregon. Here U.S. 30 departs the freeway for a short stretch of independent routing through La Grande. Farmfields and dry hillsides encompass the landscape from La Grande southward along Interstate 84.

Speed limits increase from 65 to 75 mph once Interstate 84 enters the Gem State. The 75 mph speed limit provides for a fast drive to the sprawling metropolitan area of Boise. The capital city lies within an area known as the Treasure Valley. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the Rocky Mountain states.

A bank of shields display Interstate 84 and U.S. 20-26-30 along their brief overlap through Caldwell. Welcome to the capital city metro area!

The metro area extends west to include Caldwell, Nampa, and Meridian, and traffic congestion reflects that outward expansion. A business loop for Interstate 84 serves Caldwell and Nampa, and at Caldwell (Exit 26) U.S. 20 and 26 join Interstate 84 and its companion U.S. 30 for a four-way overlap through town. A new interchange was under construction to join Interstate 84 and U.S. 30 with relocated Idaho 55 at Exit 33. The old Idaho 55 follows Nampa Boulevard north from Business Loop I-84 to Exit 35. Upon completion, the new interchange will allow for Idaho 55 through traffic to bypass Nampa by joining the freeway more directly from the west. 

Idaho 55 joins 30 on Interstate 84 east from Nampa all the way to Exit 46 at Meridian. The state highway departs via a wide and congested arterial north to Idaho 44 at Eagle (we’ll visit that in a bit). Interstate 84 meanwhile abruptly widens from four to eight lanes at Exit 44 (Idaho 64). When we say abrupt, we mean it as westbound traffic was solid for two miles between Exits 46 and 45 reflecting the quick lane reduction at Idaho 69.

Approaching the Exit 38 interchange with Business Loop Interstate 84 (Garrity Boulevard) east of Caldwell. Much to our surprise, a good deal of button copy remained in use along Interstate 84 throughout the Boise metropolitan area.

The traffic crazyness continues as Interstate 84 splits with Interstate 184 at Exit 49, the so-called “Flying Y” interchange. Interstate 184 constitutes a freeway spur into downtown Boise from the west, ending a short distance from the state capital complex. The freeway carries six lanes and was busy in both the inbound and outbound directions between 4-5 pm. Recent reconstruction of the western terminus entailed building wider high speed ramps between the only two Boise area freeways. It seems to have worked for now… 

Traveling east toward downtown Boise along the busy Interstate 184. The Sawtooth Range makes up the eastern horizon for the metropolitan area. This reminded me a lot of Tortugas Mountain east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, which makes up the eastern horizon for that city.

In downtown, Interstate 184 merges with U.S. 20 & 26 at the Boise before ending in the central business district. U.S. 20 & 26 follow the busy one-way street couplets of Myrtle and Front Streets from the freeway east to Broadway Avenue. Broadway Avenue provides the main route to Boise’s Airport and points southeast.

A brief drive through downtown later, we head back west on Interstate 184 to Interstate 84 and all of its traffic congestion. For the orientation of the Treasure Valley, Interstate 84 provides the only freeway between the growing suburbs and city core. Other area roads seemed to fare worse, as many of the interchanges suggested. One such road to suffer from amazing amounts of traffic was Idaho 55. We traveled that north to reach Hells Canyon and did not expect its routing along Eagle Road to be so busy and overwhelmed with motorists.

Traffic trudged from Interstate 84 northward between traffic light cycles along Idaho 55. A “Game crossing” sign posted near the north end elludes to a likely different landscape at the time it was posted compared to the sprawly landscape today.

Turning onto the Idaho 44/55 overlap did not seem to help matters much either, as the sprawl continued to their split east of the Eagle business district. Idaho 55 continues north from there with five overall lanes to the Payette River Scenic Byway north of Beacon Light Road. A lengthy descent carries the state highway over the 4,242 foot Horseshoe Bend Hill north of the Boise County line. A 7% grade awaits northbound travelers over the course of five miles from the hill’s crest to into the village of Horseshoe Bend itself.

>Beginning the descent from the top of Horseshoe Bend Hill along Idaho 55 northbound. Four runaway truck ramps lie along the five-mile descent to Horsehoe Bend.>

A brief jaunt west took us to Gem County along Idaho 52. From there we continued north along Idaho 55 through the scenic Payette River Valley. Construction along the narrow roadway involved repairing a concrete arch bridge over the North Fork of the Payette River toward the village of Cascade. I highly recommend the drive to anyone who enjoys mountain scenery! 

The southbound beginning of Idaho 55 at its junction with U.S. 95 in New Meadows. Idaho uses brown shields for both U.S. and State Highways when a scenic designation is applied.

By the time we reached junction U.S. 95, the sun was about to set for the day. We turned northward to Grangeville, grabbing some dinner at a local diner in Riggins. North of there is a tied-arch bridge of all things nestled within the canyon walls.

Once at Grangeville, we learned that all of the motel rooms in town were booked, so we had to continue another 20 miles or so along Idaho 13 to Kosskia where we found a vacancy for the night. All in all a long day, but with the early start, we saw most of what we wanted during the daylight hours with the exception of U.S. 95 north of Idaho 55…