4/16/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for April 16-23
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
Wednesday (April 14) the final lanes opened on the Orchard Street Bridge.
Minor construction activities will continue at the Orchard Interchange for the next couple of weeks. Crews will finish striping, placing signs and other cleanup activist.
Most work will be done between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
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 aware of workers in the area.
Construction
on the $15.1 million project is expected to be complete later this month.
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.
Airport
Way will be reduced to one lane Monday (April 19) from 9 a.m. to noon while
crews finish striping the roadways. Work was delayed due to rain on Monday
(April 12). This work is weather dependent.
Traffic
will be briefly stopped near Vista Avenue from Tuesday (April 20) to Friday
(April 23). Flaggers will direct traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Traffic
will be switched onto the new Single Point Urban Interchange on- and off-ramps
beginning Tuesday (April 20) at 10 p.m. and ending by Wednesday morning (April
21) at 5 a.m. Traffic will use temporary signals until the Single Point Urban
Interchange is completed later this summer.
The
speed limit on I-84 is 55 mph and shoulders are restricted in the project area.
The speed limit on Vista Avenue is 25 mph. ITD advises motorists to be cautious
of trucks and equipment.
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) until Monday (April 19).
Traffic will be switched onto the shoulders near the Vista Interchange beginning this weekend. Eastbound traffic will be moved Friday (April 16) and westbound traffic Saturday (April 17).
Motorists are advised to
watch for trucks entering and exiting the work zone just east of the Vista
Interchange.
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 construct a new interchange with on- and off-ramps at
Ten Mile Road. The project will include widening I-84 between Black Cat and Ten
Mile roads.
Eastbound I-84 will be
paved between the Ten Mile and Black Cat roads on Monday night (April 19).
Residents can expect an increase in construction-related lighting and noise.
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 are open by the morning commute and during the day. Lane reductions are not expected to occur often 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 is being 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 & 21st reconstruction
Two lanes will be open to traffic on 21st Avenue beginning tomorrow (Friday, April 16). Traffic has been reduced to one lane and flaggers have been directing motorists for the last week as crews moved construction material from Commercial Way to Franklin Road.
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 and 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 wrapping up. A new bridge
has been 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 paved on Tuesday (April 13). Striping and the installation of sign should be complete by the middle of next week (April 19-23). As soon as the work is complete, ITD will consider the project substantially complete because the public can safely use the road.
Grass re-seeding should be a one-day activity, but may not happen for a few
weeks.
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.
Some of the initial planned work has been delayed while right-of-way issues are worked out with the Bureau of Land Management. In the meantime, the contractor has shifted efforts to other necessary activities within the project .
The road will be closed during construction, which is expected to finish this fall.
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 junction of Idaho 67 and extends about one-quarter mile north of the C.J. Strike Dam, from about milepost 100 to 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 - 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.
Paving, if the weather holds, is scheduled for the end of the month. Striping will follow, along with completion of guardrail, and a few additional items.
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 - and
is 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.