Media Manager

POCATELLO - Four projects to improve U.S. 30 in Bannock County will reach major milestones this summer, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.

The projects involve widening the roadway, building three bridges and improving curves and sight distance on a critical 9.5-mile stretch of U.S. 30 between McCammon and Lava Hot Springs. Upcoming project milestones include:

•     Completion of final design for widening 3.5 miles of U.S. 30 from McCammon to Crystal Springs Road. The McCammon to Crystal Springs Road project is estimated to cost $16 million. Final design is being completed and the project will be advertised for bids when funding becomes available.

•     Completion of final design for a new 613-foot steel bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad and the Portneuf Marsh Valley Canal. The design includes widening 0.7 miles of the highway to include a center median. The Topaz Bridges project is estimated to cost $29 million and begin in Fall/Winter 2009. Design will be complete this summer.

•     Construction of two bridges over the Portneuf River and a widened, 1.9-mile stretch of U.S. 30 from Crystal Springs Road to Old Oregon Trail Road. The Portneuf River Bridges project is estimated to cost $28 million and begin construction this fall/winter.

•     Completion of a 3.5 mile U.S. 30 widening project from Topaz to Lava Hot Springs. The new roadway will be four lanes with a center median and a new bridge over the Portneuf River. The Topaz to Lava Hot Springs project began in 2006. Construction is expected to be complete later this fall. 

To maximize project funds, ITD modified the median width on each project design from 12 feet to four feet, except in areas where left turns are warranted. This change is part of a statewide cost savings initiative called Practical Design, which was implemented to serve motorists' needs while facing a $250 million shortfall in transportation funding. 

The U.S. 30 projects are funded by the GARVEE Transportation Program, which uses proceeds from Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) bonds to fund needed improvements in less time than through traditional funding methods. 

A newsletter with detailed information regarding each of these projects will be mailed out in mid-June to area residents and local communities. Copies of the newsletter will also be available at the city halls in McCammon, Lava Hot Springs and Soda Springs; county courthouses in Bannock and Caribou counties; Lava Hot Springs Senior Center; ITD District 5 office in Pocatello and other prominent locations. 

More information is also available by visiting www.itd.idaho.gov/Projects/D5 or by contacting Adam Rush, ITD Public Involvement Coordinator, at (208) 334-4444 / Fax: (208) 334-8563 / TDD: (208) 334-4458 or via postal mail at P.O. Box 7129 Boise, ID 83707-1129. Comments can be e-mailed to: comments@itd.idaho.gov.