BOISE - After a
year of reconstruction and four decades with the old traffic pattern, the Vista
Avenue Interchange will begin operating as a Single Point Urban Interchange at
5:30 a.m. Friday (July 23). The
entire project is expected to finish in early fall.
Vista Avenue will be closed at the
bridge overnight Thursday (July 22) while
the Idaho Transportation Department activates the new 12-head, 125-foot-long,
13,000-lb. signal at the center of the interchange. The lone signal will
replace multiple traffic signals, which are used at most interchanges in the
Treasure Valley.
Click here to access ITD's Facebook page with a
detour map for drivers as well as a diagram for how to drive the new
interchange.
One lane will be closed in both
directions on Vista Avenue at 10 p.m. Thursday. All lanes across the bridge
will be closed from 11:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Friday morning.
On- and off-ramps will remain open all
night, but airport-bound travelers on westbound I-84 or southbound Vista Avenue
will not be able to cross the bridge. Flaggers will direct traffic.
A Single Point Urban Interchange is
designed to move high traffic volumes within a small area. The Vista
Interchange will be the first in the state.
Motorists are encouraged to pay extra
attention during their first drive through the area. An educational fact sheet
and video of the new interchange layout are available on the project's web page.
Lane restrictions in the area will
continue while crews finish paving the area and building the center islands.
Central Paving Company, of Boise, is
the contractor for the $17.8 million project.
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.