BOISE COUNTY - With bridge work on Idaho 55 near Banks finishing, crews will transition to road work after the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Work on the South Fork Payette River Bridge, which started April 11, is wrapping up. There will be no restrictions on the bridge for holiday weekend travelers. In the week after the holiday weekend, crews will prepare for a pavement preservation project involving approximately 14 miles of roadway from just north of Horseshoe Bend at the Payette River Bridge, to about two miles north of the Idaho 55 and Banks-to-Lowman road intersection.
Paving is expected to begin on the southern end of this stretch on Monday (June 6). About 1.8 inches of new pavement will be applied.
Once paving operations begin, traffic will be reduced to one lane. Pilot cars and flaggers will direct traffic. The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph in the entire stretch, as guardrail has to be removed to ensure a full-width overlay on the road's surface. Without the guardrail in place, driver safety would be compromised at the usual 55 mph.
Crews will work a Monday through Thursday schedule, with some work until noon on Fridays. Since Idaho 55 is a popular route for tourism and recreation, crews are prohibited from impacting traffic on weekends.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the contractor on this $2.6 million project.
Questions? Visit us online at itd.idaho.gov, follow ITD on Twitter (IdahoITD) or Facebook and check travel conditions at 511.idaho.gov or dial 5-1-1. Please slow down in highway construction zones and pay attention. The safety of drivers and workers is the transportation department's highest priority.