10/15/2007
Ceremony planned for completion of U.S. 95 project on Thursday (Oct. 18)
BOISE - Idaho Transportation Board Vice Chairman Bruce Sweeney will celebrate the completion of the U.S. 95 Top of Lewiston Hill to Thorncreek Road project on Thursday, Oct. 18, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
The ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. on the east side of U.S. 95 at the top of Lewiston Hill. Board Member Bruce Sweeney will give the keynote address. The ceremony will culminate with the placement of the last milepost sign for the new highway.
The 15-mile corridor opened to traffic Sunday after two years of construction. The project extended 14.5 miles from the top of Lewiston Hill to Thorncreek Road. The old two-lane highway is now a four-lane divided highway. The expanded highway will improve safety on the heavily traveled commuter/agricultural corridor.
"We have found that widening a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway can reduce accidents by 45 percent," said ITD District 2 Engineer Jim Carpenter. Carpenter said that traffic on U.S. 95 between Lewiston and Moscow is estimated to increase 40 percent by 2025.
The project was divided into two phases: Top of Lewiston Hill to Genesee and Genesee to Thorncreek Road. The project will ultimately connect with the existing southern entrance to Moscow.
Local residents were very involved in determining the alternatives and alignments for U.S. 95 Top of Lewiston Hill to Thorncreek Road.
Scarsella Bros., Inc. of Seattle was the prime contractor for both projects. The Top of Lewiston Hill to Genesee phase cost approximately $17.2 million. The Genesee to Thorncreek Road phase cost approximately $32.8 million.
For current driving conditions on Idaho highways, call 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov.