BOISE - A
project to improve the U.S. 95 bridge over the Payette River south of Payette
is expected to begin in mid-June.
Construction
is expected to take about two years to complete. Resurfacing work near Payette,
in a separate project, must be completed before work on the Payette River
Bridge can begin.
The Idaho Transportation Department
(ITD) will replace the existing northbound truss bridge (built in 1927) located
on U.S. 95 between Fruitland and Payette. The new bridge will be two feet
higher off the water. It will have no overhead bracing or struts as the current one does
and will be 84 feet in width, eliminating current safety concerns
regarding both width and height restrictions.
The new
bridge will be constructed next to, and will attach to, the existing southbound
bridge. The project also includes minor roadway realignment to tie into the new
bridge location.
U.S. 95 is the main route connecting northern and southern Idaho. About 18,000
vehicles use this portion of the highway daily. By 2026, the volume is expected
to be more than 25,000.
Traffic will utilize the southbound bridge while the new bridge is constructed.
Traffic will then be switched to the new bridge while modifications to the
southbound bridge are made and it is connected to the new bridge.
JC Constructors Inc. of Meridian is the contractor for this $6.17 million project.