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Weiser Bridge replacement progressing

The replacement of a 78-year-old bridge over the Weiser River south of Weiser, which began early this month, is progressing rapidly. The work on U.S. 95 is expected to be done by the end of this year.

The two-lane bridge, one of 99 remaining on the state system that were built before 1936, will be replaced with a three-lane structure. The existing bridge has 26 feet of drivable width, but the new one will be expanded to 48 feet. An average of 7,300 vehicles use the bridge daily. More than 100 million vehicle trips have been taken across the bridge during its lifetime.
In addition to replacing the aging bridge, crews also will reconstruct more than 500 feet of bridge approaches at the north and south ends.

The existing bridge has a sidewalk and two 13-foot lanes but no shoulders. The new bridge will have two 12-foot lanes and a 12-foot center turn lane. The project features a two-foot buffer next to the decorative bridge railing, a five-foot shoulder and a five-foot sidewalk on the west side.

Braun-Jensen, of Payette, is the prime contractor on the $4.8 million project.