6/26/2009
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho weekly highway construction report for June 26-July 3
BOISE - Following is an update on interstate and state highway construction projects in southwest Idaho.
ADA COUNTY
GARDEN CITY/BOISE - Idaho 44, State and Glenwood Pavement Rehabilitation
Crews have completed work on State Street and the State/Glenwood, State/Old Horseshoe Bend Road and State/Idaho 55 intersections, and are now working on Chinden Boulevard, from Kent Street west to Dresden Lane, including the Chinden/Glenwood intersection. Work started yesterday (June 25) and is expected to continue through Thursday (July 2).
The work involves milling off and replacing the top three and one-half inches of asphalt on the roadway, installing raised curb lane dividers on Chinden, between Glenwood and Dresden (extending the existing divider) for safety, and putting in a half pork chop-shaped traffic island at Dresden to prevent left turns out of Dresden across oncoming traffic.
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 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. At all other times during construction, at least one lane in each direction will remain open.
During construction, access will remain open to businesses and residents in the construction area.
The project entails also 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.
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 set up properly.
Central Paving Co. Inc. Boise is the contractor on this $4.4 million project.
The project is expected to finish in early July.
CANYON COUNTY
CALDWELL - Logan & 10th intersection improvement project
A project to improve the intersection of Logan Street and 10th Avenue in Caldwell is now under way. The project will widen the roadway and includes installation of a traffic signal.
Motorists will be controlled by flaggers at the intersection. Flaggers will let one direction of traffic through at a time.
This project will reconstruct the intersection, adding turn lanes and replacing the traffic signal, controllers and traffic-control cabinet.
Crews began removing asphalt in the intersection and repaving this week.
WF Construction & Sales of Meridian is the contractor on this $284,000 project.
Work is expected to be completed by mid-August.
CALDWELL - Indian Creek Bridge replacement
Demolition is nearly complete on the 11th Avenue structure as crews continue to work to replace two deteriorated bridges (21st and 11th Avenue structures) that span Indian Creek. The bridges are being replaced to improve their structural integrity and extend the life of the roadway.
The existing bridge at 11th Avenue has been removed and excavation of the abutments is underway. The 11th Avenue structure at Indian Creek is beneath the intersection of 11th and Arthur Street.
Because of the structure's alignment with the intersection and the creek, the intersection must be closed during installation of the new steel structure. Through-traffic is being detoured around the work zone. Access to homes and businesses remains open and temporary signs are in place to direct customers to local businesses.
To minimize noise impacts to nearby residents, crews are limiting work hours to daytime only, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Additional measures, such as equipment mufflers, intake silencers or engine enclosures are also being used to reduce noise from construction equipment.
Pile driving on the 21st Avenue Bridge near Chicago Street will continue through next week (June 29-July 3). The bridge is being widened to four lanes (two lanes in each direction) to better serve the well-traveled route between I-84 and The College of Idaho.
Two lanes of traffic are being maintained during construction and business access on 21st Avenue remains open. Temporary signs are in place to direct customers.
Removal of the existing bridge and construction of the new concrete bridge is being completed in two phases. During the first phase, the east portion of the bridge is being removed and reconstructed, and traffic is routed onto the existing bridge. Removal of the bridge deck is complete. During the second phase, traffic will shift to the completed portion of the new bridge while the other half is reconstructed.
Construction is expected to be complete in November 2009.
Braun-Jensen of Payette is the contractor on this $2.3 million project. This is a Local Highway Technical Assistance Council project, and the local sponsor is the city of Caldwell.
NAMPA - U.P.R.R. 16th Avenue Bridge repair
A project to repair the Union Pacific Railroad 16th Avenue Bridge in Nampa is under way.
Traffic was recently moved from the southbound lanes to the completed northbound lanes. The contractor placed erosion and sediment-control devices up and has begun to do the first stage of deck removal with hydro-blasting equipment.
In addition to repairing the deck on this four-lane bridge, the work also includes replacing expansion joints and performing sidewalk replacement repairs on the 750-foot bridge.
Idaho Construction Company Inc. of Kimberly is the contractor on this $1 million project. The project is on schedule to be completed in late August.
ELMORE COUNTY
MOUNTAIN HOME - I-84 Resurfacing project
A project to treat and preserve the highway surface on a 24-mile stretch of I-84 east of Mountain Home is under way. The project is expected to finish by late July.
A sealer will be applied to cracks in the concrete surface from milepost 90 to 114 to ward off continued deterioration. Prior to the sealer application, the cracks will be repaired and some individual concrete slabs replaced.
The lane restrictions for crack repair and sealer application will be removed at the end of each work day.
During lane closures, the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in the project area and allowable widths reduced to 14 feet.
American Civil Contractors from Benicia, Calif., is the contractor on this $2.4 million project.
PAYETTE COUNTY
PAYETTE - 7th Avenue North improvement
A project is ongoing to improve about one-half mile of 7th Avenue North in Payette, which leads to McCain Middle School and the Western Idaho Community Action Partnership (WICAP) Head Start. The construction project extends from 11th to 18th streets on 7th Avenue and crosses U.S. 95.
The road will be rebuilt and widened with new curbs, gutters and pedestrian ramps per ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.
The canal bridge is about 500 feet from the intersection. Improvements in this project include wider lanes over the top of the bridge, with five-foot sidewalks and bike lanes added on each side.
The contractor is completing the excavation of the roadway west of the U.S. 95/7th Ave. North intersection. Next week (June 29-July 3) the contractor is planning to build swale ditches near the edge of the roadway. A swale ditch helps to slow down fast-running water in desert conditions, which can be important to prevent erosion and help vegetation take hold.
Some utility work also may occur.
Traffic to residential property will be maintained, as well as services (mail, trash, etc.). The roadway is closed to through traffic.
The project also will include storm-sewer installation to handle water run-off.
Knife River is the contractor on this $1.5 million project, which is expected to be complete in early July.
VALLEY COUNTY
NEAR COUGAR MOUNTAIN LODGE- Idaho 55, Smiths Ferry to Round Valley resurfacing
A pavement rehabilitation project to extend the life of the roadway and create a smoother ride for motorists on a five-mile stretch (milepost 97-102) of Idaho 55 from Smiths Ferry to Round Valley is under way. The project is expected to be complete by early August.
The project starts about 500 feet south of Cougar Mountain Lodge. The roadway is a narrow, winding route, and the narrow shoulders and tight curves contribute to an accident rate one and one-half times higher than the statewide average. The project will not include any approaches or realignment. The roadway travel surfaces on either end of the project have already been addressed.
Within a few days of the completion of this project, the project surface will be seal coated along with the stretch of roadway north from Round Valley Creek Road to the Clear Creek Lodge, which was resurfaced two years ago.
No weekend or holiday work is anticipated. In addition, truck lengths and/or widths will not be restricted.
Work hours on the project are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to noon on Fridays.
Idaho Sand & Gravel of Nampa is the contractor on this $1.5 million project.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
MIDVALE HILL - rest area improvement project
A project to upgrade the rest area on U.S. 95 at Midvale Hill has begun. The rest area is now closed to the public.
This project will rehabilitate the existing rest area - built in 1987 - and caretaker facilities, create additional truck parking, and include other repairs. The rest room building is being completely reconstructed.
The rest area will be closed during this project, and signs will be posted in Cambridge and Weiser to announce the closure. No temporary facilities are planned during this work. The project is expected to finish by October.
Slabs and foundations are complete for the restroom building, storage building and volunteer enclosure. Masonry work on the three structures continues. The steel shade structure to cover the new caretaker residence is expected to be erected today (Friday, June 26). Placement of three-quarter inch aggregate base for the road and parking areas is complete.
WF Construction & Sales LLC of Meridian is the contractor on this $1.4 million project.
WEISER - Snake River Bridge replacement
The Snake River Bridge on the U.S. 95 Spur in Weiser is being replaced with a wider structure. The bridge connects Annex, Ore., to Weiser.
Crews built one half of the new bridge and switched traffic to that section Dec. 4, 2008. Only one lane of traffic can safely pass over the new bridge section. To accommodate traffic crossing over the bridge in opposite directions, portable signals are being used.
The right and left ramps on the Idaho side of the bridge are closed. Traffic must follow the detour to access Old Highway 70. In addition, any traffic 12 feet or wider and/or taller than 14 feet 2 inches will need to detour through Payette.
Crews have completed decking, and rebar is being placed over newly set girders in preparation for the deck to be poured on the Oregon side of the new structure. In addition, the last set of piles have been driven on the Idaho side.
The original bridge was built in 1903, with an additional span added in 1911. Traffic signals were added in 1949. The bridge was replaced in the 1950s - that's the one being replaced in this project. Once completed, the bridge will be 16 feet wider and able to carry greater traffic volumes. The highway on both sides of the bridge also will be reconstructed.
New curb, gutter and sidewalks are being reconstructed on the Idaho side of the bridge.
The speed limit is reduced to 25 mph on the Oregon side of the bridge.
Sletten Construction of Boise is the contractor on this $10 million project. The project is expected to be completed in fall. It originally was slated for completion in 2010, but crews are significantly ahead of schedule.
ITD and the Idaho State Police caution motorists to slow down and pay attention when driving in work zones, where increased speeding fines and other penalties apply. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov for information on the state highway or interstate system.