Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Oct. 2-9

BOISE - The following projects are part of the GARVEE Transportation Program in southwest Idaho, which uses funds from Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) bonds to expedite highway projects.

BOISE - Interstate 84, Orchard Street Interchange
Work continues on a project to reconstruct the Orchard Street Interchange in Boise.

At 10 p.m. tonight (Friday, Oct. 2), traffic will transition to a new westbound I-84 on-ramp from Orchard Street. Flaggers will direct the transition, which may require two nights to complete.

On Saturday (Oct. 3), Orchard Street north of Interstate 84 will increase from one lane to two lanes in each direction.

This work puts the project closer toward a traffic switch scheduled for early October, when motorists will begin driving on the new Orchard Street bridge.

Demolition of the old bridge will be scheduled for mid-October.

The speed limit on I-84 is 55 mph and shoulders are restricted in the project area. The speed limit on surrounding roadways (Orchard Street, Wright Street, Victory Road) is 25 mph. ITD advises motorists to be cautious of trucks and equipment.

Construction is expected to be complete in spring 2010.

BOISE - Interstate 84, Vista Avenue Interchange Reconstruction*

Work is under way to rebuild the interchange to reduce congestion and accommodate future I-84 lanes.

At least one lane will be open in each direction on I-84 near the Vista Interchange while crews work on the bridge deck between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday (Oct. 4 6).

The speed limit on I-84 is 55 mph. Watch for trucks entering and exiting the construction zone.

Construction is expected to be complete in fall 2010.

* Design for the project was funded by GARVEE, but project construction is funded through the federal stimulus program, created to generate jobs and help boost Idaho's economy while upgrading our foundation for future economic growth.

BOISE - Interstate 84, Cole Road to Broadway Avenue widening

ITD will rebuild and widen east- and westbound I-84 between the Cole and Broadway interchanges in Boise. When complete, the interstate will have four lanes in each direction.

At least one lane will be open in each direction on I-84 between the Cole and Orchard interchanges while crews install guardrail, place sand barrels and remove lights. Work will be done between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday (Oct. 4-6).

The speed limit is now 55 mph in the project area on I-84.

This project is expected to be complete in summer 2011.

WEST TREASURE VALLEY - Interstate 84, Garrity to Meridian widening

ITD is adding a third east- and westbound lane to I-84 between Nampa and Meridian. The first 2.5 miles of the third lane opened near the Meridian Interchange in August 2009. The remainder is expected to open in November 2009.

One lane will be closed between the Black Cat Overpass and the Garrity Interchange from 10 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 7) to 5 a.m. Thursday (Oct.). On Thursday night westbound traffic will switch back to the westbound side.

The I-84 speed limit is 55 mph during construction.

MERIDIAN - Interstate 84, Ten Mile Interchange construction

Work began in late July to replace the current Ten Mile Overpass with an interchange with on- and off-ramps. This project includes widening Ten Mile Road and constructing two undercrossings for local roads north and south of I-84.

Crews are driving steel piles into the ground to support the interchange and two undercrossings. Pile driving work at the second location off Ten Mile Road was completed on Sept. 30. Pile driving will resume in late October at the location of the future interchange.

The speed limit has been reduced to 35 mph on Ten Mile Road between Franklin and Overland roads. Motorists should watch for trucks traveling in the area.

Construction is expected to be complete in summer 2011.

In addition, this GARVEE project will begin in the fall:

NAMPA - Interstate 84, Garrity Bridge/11^th Ave. to Garrity

Replace two bridges in the Garrity Interchange with a single, wider bridge to support additional lanes on the interstate. The project will construct a third east- and westbound lane on I-84 through the Garrity Interchange.
Est. Start: Fall 2009

Est. Completion: Winter 2010

Following is an update on non-GARVEE state highway construction projects in southwest Idaho.

ADA COUNTY
BOISE - Idaho 55 resurfacing, State Street to Overhead Message Board
A resurfacing project on Idaho 55 is under way north from the State Street intersection (Idaho 44) to the overhead message board located just beyond Shadow Valley Golf Course.

Working hours are primarily 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday to minimize interference with traffic. However, they may be extended for the last few weeks of the project due to inclement weather.

Paving is about halfway completed. Because of equipment issues, completion is now slated for a week later, on Oct. 14.

The speed limit has been raised from 35 mph to 45 mph.

The pavement in this stretch is rough and rutted. The resurfacing process will extend the life of the roadway and create a smoother ride for motorists.

About an inch and a half of the existing pavement is being milled off the surface, then replaced with new material in an overlay.

The 5.5-mile corridor shifts from as few as two lanes to as many as six. At least one lane in each direction will be maintained throughout the project. The traffic pattern for the corridor will change several times throughout the life of the project.

Knife River of Boise is the contractor for this $1.4 million project.

CANYON COUNTY

CALDWELL - Indian Creek Bridges replacement

Work to replace two bridges over Indian Creek is moving into the final weeks and is scheduled for completion in November. The companion projects to improve structural integrity of the bridges at 21st and 11th Avenue started in June.

Crews at 11th Avenue and Arthur are working extended hours to drive piles for the new structure. The old structure has been removed, exposing Indian Creek. As a result, vehicles are being detoured around the intersection but pedestrian access to local business remains open and signs are in place to direct customers.

Traffic at the 21st Avenue bridge over Indian Creek has been shifted to the new half of the structure while crews work to finish the deck on the second half of the bridge.

Removal of the existing 21st Avenue bridge and construction of the new concrete bridge is being completed in two phases. During the first phase, the east portion of the bridge was removed and reconstructed, and traffic was routed onto the existing bridge. During the second phase, traffic has been shifted to the completed portion of the new bridge while the other half is reconstructed.

When construction is complete the new bridge will have four lanes (two lanes in each direction) to better serve the well-traveled route between Interstate 84 and The College of Idaho. Two lanes of traffic are being maintained during construction and business access on 21st remains open. Temporary signs are in place to direct customers.

Braun-Jensen of Payette is the contractor on this $2.3 million project. This is a Local Highway Technical Assistance Council project sponsored by the city of Caldwell.

PAYETTE COUNTY
NEW PLYMOUTH - West City Limits to Jct. Idaho 72 resurfacing
Resurfacing through New Plymouth is under way on the portion of U.S. 30 from the west end of town to the junction with Idaho 72. The work is anticipated to be complete by early October.

Milling started near the Idaho 72 junction and is headed west through town. Milling (grindong) work is nearly complete, after which crews will begin pulverizing the next layer of pavement.

Motorists can expect lane closures during the day. One lane will remain open through the project with flaggers and pilot cars used to guide traffic through the work zone.

The top layer of pavement in the two-mile section will be milled off. The CRABS (Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization) method of resurfacing will then place a new layer of pavement on the surface. Guardrail also will be upgraded during the project.

Nampa Paving & Asphalt Co. is the contractor on this $716,000 project.

PAYETTE - 7th Avenue North improvement
7th Avenue North has re-opened to traffic on a project to improve about one-half mile of 7th Avenue North in Payette, leading to McCain Middle School and the Western Idaho Community Action Partnership (WICAP) Head Start.

The road was rebuilt and widened with new curbs, gutters and pedestrian ramps per ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.

Seeding and fencing remain to be completed. Irrigation-related work cannot be done until water leaves the canal, however, so some final work cannot be completed until October or November.

Knife River is the contractor on this $1.5 million project.

WASHINGTON COUNTY
CAMBRIDGE - Superior Street/Mill Road improvements
Paving is expected to begin in mid-October on a project to improve Superior Street/Mill Road at the north end of Cambridge.

This project, off the state highway system, involves improving 1,300 feet of roadway and replacing the existing bridge on Rush Creek with a new single-span bridge.

The old bridge was removed Aug. 5 and work has begun on the new bridge.

The roadway ballast section is constructed, and concrete work (sidewalk, drop inlets, curbs) should be completed. Work on the bridge back wall and sidewalk is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

The contractor intends to keep the south half of Superior Street open to through traffic and close off the north half (adjacent to the removed bridge) to all except local traffic.

Crews will work an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule Monday through Friday. No weekend or holiday work is expected.

Knife River (Boise) is the contractor on this $922,000 project.

Although ITD is administering the contract, the project itself comes under the jurisdiction of the Local Highway Technical Advisory Council (LHTAC). The city of Cambridge is the local sponsor of this project and a financial contributor.

The project is expected to finish in late October.

MIDVALE HILL - rest area improvement project
A project to upgrade the rest area on U.S. 95 at Midvale Hill is under way.

This project will rehabilitate the existing rest area - built in 1987 - and caretaker facilities, create additional truck parking, and include other repairs. The rest room building is being completely reconstructed.

The rest area will be closed during this project, and signs will be posted in Cambridge and Weiser to announce the closure. No temporary facilities are planned during this work.

Exterior work is complete on the restroom building, volunteer enclosure, and the storage building with the exception of some minor roofing items and sealing of the exterior block walls. Electrical and mechanical system installation is 85% complete in the restroom and 95% complete in the storage building. The remaining electrical and mechanical work consists of fixtures, finishes, and system start-up.

Concrete flatwork, sidewalk, and curb and gutter is complete. Additional work is being done to provide adequate drainage for water off the roof of the restroom building so it will not become a freezing problem across sidewalk areas when it leaves the downspouts of the roof gutters. Paving of the road and parking areas is complete and pavement markings are complete. Delineators are also being placed along this edge to help identify it and guide snowplow drivers. A less-severe embankment on the west edge of the truck parking lot is being constructed to correct a too-steep drop-off from the roadway.

Additional concrete work is being added to install pads for trash cans off of the sidewalks and to add size to the dumpster pad to allow for future needs.

WF Construction & Sales LLC of Meridian is the contractor on this $1.4 million project.

The project is expected to finish by late October.

WEISER - Snake River Bridge replacement
The Snake River Bridge on the U.S. 95 Spur in Weiser is being replaced with a wider structure. The bridge connects Annex, Ore., to Weiser.

The contractor is currently working on extending the work bridge, and is expected to begin to set girders on Monday (Oct. 5).

Crews built one half of the new bridge and switched traffic to that section. Only one lane of traffic can safely pass over the new bridge section. To accommodate traffic crossing over the bridge in opposite directions, portable signals are being used.

The right and left ramps on the Idaho side of the bridge are closed. Traffic must follow the detour to access Old Highway 70. In addition, any traffic 12 feet or wider and/or taller than 14 feet 2 inches will need to detour through Payette.

Both abutments on the Idaho side of the bridge have been finished.

The original bridge was built in 1903, with an additional span added in 1911. Traffic signals were added in 1949. The bridge was replaced in the 1950s - that's the one being replaced in this project. Once completed, the bridge will be 16 feet wider and able to carry greater traffic volumes. The highway on both sides of the bridge also will be reconstructed.

New curb, gutter and sidewalks are being reconstructed on the Idaho side of the bridge.

The speed limit is reduced to 25 mph on the Oregon side of the bridge.

Sletten Construction of Boise is the contractor on this $10 million project. The project is expected to be completed by January.

ITD and the Idaho State Police caution motorists to slow down and pay attention when driving in work zones, where increased speeding fines and other penalties apply. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov for information on the state highway or interstate system.