4/2/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for April 2-9
BOISE - The following projects are part
of the GARVEE Transportation Program in southwest Idaho, which uses funds from
Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) bonds to expedite highway projects.
BOISE - Interstate
84, Orchard Street Interchange
Work
continues on a project to reconstruct the Orchard Street Interchange in Boise.
The
speed limit on I-84 is 55 mph and shoulders are restricted in the project area.
The speed limit on surrounding roadways (Orchard Street, Wright Street, Victory
Road) is 25 mph.
ITD
advises motorists to be cautious of trucks and equipment.
Construction
on the $15.1 million project is expected to be complete in spring 2010.
BOISE - Interstate 84, Vista Avenue
Interchange Reconstruction*
Work
is under way to rebuild the Vista Avenue Interchange to reduce congestion and
accommodate future I-84 lanes.
Construction
on the $17.8 million project is expected to be complete in late summer 2010.
* Design
for the project was funded by GARVEE, but project construction is funded
through the federal stimulus program, created to generate jobs and help boost
Idaho's economy while upgrading our foundation for future economic growth.
BOISE - Interstate 84, Cole Road to
Broadway Avenue widening
ITD is
rebuilding and widening east- and westbound I-84 between the Cole and Broadway
interchanges in Boise. When complete, the interstate will have four lanes in
each direction.
Between
the Orchard and Broadway interchanges, one lane will be closed in both
directions at night (10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on week nights, and 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on
weekends).
This
$35.9 million project is expected to be complete in summer 2011.
MERIDIAN - Interstate
84, Ten Mile Interchange construction
Work
continues on a project to replace the old Ten Mile Overpass with an interchange
with on- and off-ramps. The project will include widening I-84 between Black
Cat and Ten Mile roads.
Expect
intermittent nighttime I-84 lane restrictions for the next two weeks (April
2-April 9) while crews focus on bridge work. The restrictions will occur
between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. week nights, and 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekends.
Restrictions will alternate between the inside and outside lanes.
Ten
Mile Road is closed between Franklin and Overland roads during construction.
The $33.8
million Ten Mile Interchange project is expected to be complete in summer 2011.
NAMPA - Interstate 84, Garrity
Interchange Bridge reconstruction
Construction
on the I-84 Garrity Interchange improvement project is under way. The project
will remove two bridges on I-84 at the Garrity Interchange and replace them
with a single bridge that will accommodate three lanes in each direction on the
interstate.
Work
also includes reconstructing the interstate about a mile east of the
interchange to tie into the widening of I-84 between the Garrity and Meridian
interchanges, and removing the bridge piers in the roadway at Garrity
Boulevard.
I-84 is reduced to one
lane in each direction most nights, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., excluding
weekends, between the Franklin Interchange and Robinson Road overpass while
crews work along the shoulders. The temporary widening to the outside will
allow for traffic to be pushed out and facilitate construction in the median.
Two lanes westbound and three lanes eastbound will be open by the morning
commute and during the day. Lane reductions are not expected to occur on Friday
or Saturday nights.
I-84 westbound
off-ramp at the Garrity Interchange has been reduced to one lane. This
configuration is expected to last the next few months while crews prepare to
shift traffic to the median.
I-84 westbound has
been reduced to two lanes between the Robinson Road Overpass and Garrity
Interchange. This configuration is expected to last the next few months while
crews prepare to shift traffic to the median.
I-84 eastbound has
been shifted to the south and reduced to two lanes near the Garrity Interchange
eastbound on-ramp. The dedicated lane on the eastbound on-ramp is closed so
motorist traveling on Garrity Boulevard have to merge into eastbound through
traffic. This configuration will last several months allowing crews to widen
and pave in the median, of the interstate prior to building the bridge. Once
the median bridge is built, westbound traffic can be moved onto the new median
section and the existing westbound bridge can be removed and replaced.
This project is part
of ITD's plans to improve I-84 between the Franklin and Garrity interchanges in
Nampa.
The completed
improvements will include three lanes in each direction from the Franklin to
Garrity interchanges, and four lanes in each direction from the Garrity to
Meridian interchanges.
The project will be
constructed in three stages:
Stage 1 - Build the
median section of the bridge between the existing bridges. Traffic will remain
on existing bridges, with two lanes open in each direction.
Stage 2 - Remove existing westbound bridge and build new westbound portion of
bridge. Westbound traffic will be moved onto the new median section. Two lanes
will remain open in each direction.
Stage 3 - Remove existing eastbound bridge and build new eastbound portion of
bridge. Westbound traffic will be shifted onto the new westbound portion of the
bridge, and eastbound traffic onto the median section.
Completion - By summer 2011, three
lanes will be open in each direction over the bridge, eventually connecting
with a fourth lane in each direction east of the interchange.
Concrete Placing Co.
Inc. of Boise is the contractor of the $15 million project.
Following is an
update on non-GARVEE state highway construction projects in southwest Idaho.
CANYON COUNTY
CALDWELL - Franklin Rd. & 21st Ave.
reconstruction
This project to improve Franklin Road
between 21st Avenue and Chicago Street in Caldwell continues as crews focus on
building up the elevation of the new roadway and the addition of safety railing
for the pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the new 35-foot concrete bridge over the
Notus Canal.
Franklin Road remains closed while the
roadway is reconstructed and realigned to match up with the new five-lane
roadway constructed last summer. Motorists
are detoured to 21st and Chicago. The detour will be in place through this
summer, when work at the intersection concludes. Businesses on Franklin can be
accessed via Chicago.
Commercial Way between Specht Avenue and
Franklin is also closed to through traffic while crews work to align commercial
way with the new Franklin alignment as well as install a new signal at the
Franklin & 21st Ave intersection... The Franklin-21st Avenue
intersection is about one-quarter mile west of the newly-reconstructed Franklin
Road Interchange (Exit 29).
The project will improve sight distance and safety on 21st
Avenue. The project also includes excavation, new asphalt pavement, curb and
gutter, sidewalk and lighting.
The first phase of this project, about a quarter-mile
section of 21st Avenue, was rebuilt last summer. The three-lane roadway was
widened to five lanes.
Work on this phase is scheduled for completion in September.
Central Paving Co. of Boise is the contractor on this $1.66
million project. Central Paving also was the contractor on the first phase of
the project last summer.
GEM COUNTY
EMMETT - Bishop Road Bridge project for
Farmers Co-op Canal
A project to build a
detour over the Farmers Co-op Canal on the east side of the existing bridge off
Idaho 52 is under way. A new bridge will then be constructed, with a new
intersection at Bishop Road and Bishop and Bill Burns Road next to the canal.
The project is south of the intersection of Dewey and Bishop roads.
The new bridge deck
was placed March 4.
The contractor is
completing the placement of borrow (fill) and granular subbase on Bill Burns
and Bishop roads approaching the bridge. The temporary canal crossing was
removed this week, switching the traffic over to use Bishop road and the new
bridge.
All work in the canal
will be completed by today (Friday, April 2), as water will be turned into the
canal on Monday (April 5). The contractor has been in contact with the school
district and the post office to coordinate his activities with their schedules.
The traffic will be sharing the road (Bishop and Bill Burns) during the final
placement of granular subbase, base, and pavement from next week to the end of
the work (April 16, 2010). Additional traffic control will be in place and
flaggers will be present to help guide motorist through the congestion.
Work is
expected to be completely finished - except grass re-seeding in the fall.
Idaho Sand & Gravel of Nampa is the contractor on the $622,000 project. Gem
County is the local sponsor, also participating financially in the project.
ELMORE COUNTY
SOUTHWEST OF MOUNTAIN HOME - Road to
C.J. Strike Reservoir paving
The Dam Cutoff Road
carrying recreational traffic to the C.J. Strike Reservoir area in Elmore
County is being paved in a project now under way.
The road will be
closed during construction, which is expected to finish in September.
This route is one way
to get to C.J. Strike, but possibly the least-common route. However, the
improvements will make it a more desirable route, and will shorten the trip
from Mountain Home to the dam.
The Strike Dam Cutoff
Road currently is a two-lane unpaved rural route in rolling terrain. The
project begins at the intersection of Idaho 67 and extends about one-quarter
mile north of the C.J. Strike Dam, from about milepost 100-107.
The paving is
designed to provide a safer route, and save on annual maintenance costs.
Western Construction
Inc. of Boise is the contractor on the $1.86 million project.
This project is locally
sponsored by the Mountain Home Highway District.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
WEISER - U.S. 95 overpass repair
A project in
Washington County to repair Weiser's U.S. 95 Interchange Overpass to extend the
life of the structure is now under way.
The rail for the
bridge on Jonathan/Old County Road 70 was painted this week. If the weather
holds, all work on this project should be completed next week.
The two
bridges, on the U.S. 95 Spur, were built in the late 1950s. Bridge deck joints
will be replaced, some concrete repaired, as well as repair of metal bridge
railings on both structures.
One lane of the
two-lane structures will be maintained for traffic during the project, which is
expected to finish in May.
Record Steel &
Concrete Inc. of Meridian is the contractor for the $241,000 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.
The contractor is
pouring the sidewalk and ADA-compliant ramps on the Idaho side. The contractor
is working on seeding, and earthwork on both the Idaho and Oregon 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 will extend into May 2010.
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.