Southern Idaho bridge work continues, roadwork season begins

Warmer temperatures in southern Idaho mean more than trees budding and grass growing — they also signal the start of another busy year of construction and maintenance on area roadways. While several bridge projects are ongoing from 2015, new work will focus on bridge maintenance and pavement surfacing projects throughout the Magic Valley region.

Overall, 20 bridges will be under construction or seeing repairs, approximately 45 miles of roadway paving, and several safety updates or upgrades will be completed in the coming months.

Major bridge-replacement projects include ongoing work at the Interstate 84 Twin Bridges over the Snake River near Declo, the Big Wood River bridge on Idaho 75 near Ketchum, and a pair of small canal bridges on Idaho 46 south of Wendell. The Perrine Bridge repair project, started last fall, will also be completed later this spring.

Along U.S. 93 and U.S. 20 in Blaine and Lincoln counties, there will be 11 bridges receiving repairs and driving surface rehabilitation. Work on four bridges along Interstate 84 near Glenns Ferry and King Hill will also focus on a driving-surface treatment.

The largest paving projects will take place along I-84 in three locations – for about 12 miles near Bliss, seven miles in eastern Jerome County, and seven miles near the Utah border. Additionally, 11 miles of surface restoration will take place along U.S. 20 between Gooding and Shoshone and 10 miles of Idaho 75 will be resurfaced south of Timmerman Junction.

Overall, nearly $57 million of construction work is currently or will be under contract in southern Idaho in 2016.

“With our current budget, we’re able to keep up with our most pressing roadway-maintenance needs in the area with a focus on keeping our bridges in good shape,” District Engineering Manager Scot Stacey said. 

Several projects have also been advanced from future years to take advantage of increased funding allocated by the 2015 Idaho Legislature. Eight projects have been advanced based on readiness and matching criteria for critical need to maintain or repair state highways and bridges.

Project-specific information will be provided as start dates and all traffic impacts are determined.

2016 projects on Southern Idaho highways

*ID24      Rupert to B-2 Canal (seal coat only)
*ID46       Cedar Draw and W-9 Canal Bridges
ID 75        Richfield Canal to Timmerman Jct.
*ID75       Big Wood River Bridge Replacement
*ID75       Galena Summit (seal coat only)
ID75         Guardrail Repair MP 174.6
U.S. 20     Timmerman Jct. to Picabo Bridge Deck Rehab
U.S. 26      Gooding to Shoshone
*U.S. 93   Perrine Bridge Repair
U.S. 93     Perrine Bridge Windspeed DMS
U.S. 93     Shoshone to Carey Bridge Rehab
U.S. 93     Little Wood River Bridge Repairs
I-84          Glenns Ferry & King Hill Bridge Rehab
I-84          West Bliss IC to MP 149.5
I-84          Northside Canal to Exit 201
*I-84        Snake River Twin Bridges
I-84          Meadow Creek to Sweetzer Median Barrier
I-84          Juniper Rest Area to Utah State Line
I-84/I-86   Pavement Striping
I-84          D4 Sign Upgrades (Minidoka, Cassia Counties)
Various      D4 Signal Upgrades
Various     FY18 Signal Upgrades

*Ongoing projects started in 2015

Bold = Projects advanced from future years to utilize new funding

 


Published 03-18-16