5/29/2009
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
UPDATE: No access to Wal-Mart from Boise's State Street this weekend; access via Strawberry Glen from Glenwood maintained
BOISE - Motorists will have no access to Wal-Mart via State Street this weekend as work continues on the State and Glenwood resurfacing project. However, motorists may still access Wal-Mart via Strawberry Glen, from Glenwood Street, while the other approach is closed, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Crews are working in the eastbound lanes of State Street between Wal-Mart and the State/Glenwood intersection starting at 7 p.m. tonight (Friday, May 29) and continuing throughout the weekend. The road will return to two lanes in each direction by Monday (June 1) morning's rush hour, starting at 5:30 a.m.
Next week (June 1-4), crews will work on pulverizing and repaving the middle lanes of State Street from behind Wal-Mart west to the State/Old Horseshoe Bend Road intersection. During the day (excluding the morning and evening commute hours), there will be one lane of traffic maintained in each direction. During peak commuter hours (5:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. weekdays), two lanes will remain open in each direction.
This is part of the larger pavement rehabilitation project to repair and resurface from State Street at Idaho 55 to Glenwood Street, and Glenwood from State to Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26). The roadway is deteriorated, cracked and rutted, and this project will significantly extend the life of the roadway and result in a smoother ride.
Approximately 43,000 vehicles per day travel the sections of State and Glenwood resurfaced in this project. That number is expected to increase to 62,500 by 2030.
To minimize impacts during peak traffic hours in this project, crews will work an extremely aggressive schedule, which will include overnight and weekend shifts. This get-in, get-out approach is intended to shorten the length of construction and reduce the inconvenience to nearby residents, businesses and the traveling public.
During construction, access will remain open to businesses and residents in the construction area.
This work is necessary to restore the pavement surface in this section of highway, which has not been improved in more than 20 years. It is necessary to do this work during the warmer months because the asphalt requires a minimum temperature to solidify properly.
The project also entails a number of significant safety improvements, including traffic-separating measures such as raised medians and half pork chop-shaped islands, as well as more than 60 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant intersection improvements on public streets.
Central Paving Co. Inc. Boise is the contractor on this $4.4 million project.
The project is expected to finish in early July.