Idaho

Transportation Department

6/4/2010






Southwest Idaho highway construction report for June 4-11

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, 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 in each direction until late July.

 

Northbound motorists on Vista Avenue will share the through lane of traffic for left turns onto Elder Street until mid-July.

Motorists are advised to remain cautious while work continues at the Vista Interchange.

 

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 Cole and Broadway interchanges, one east- and westbound lane will continue to have intermittent lane closures overnight (10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on week nights, and 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekends) through June 13.

Crews will pour concrete in the median during the closures.

 

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.

 

Ten Mile Road is closed between Franklin and Overland roads during construction.

 

The $33.8 million project is expected to be complete in summer 2011.

 

NAMPA - 11th Avenue Overpass rebuild

The 11th Avenue bridge that spanned I-84 in Nampa has been taken down. It will remain down for about four months as it is replaced to make room for additional freeway lanes underneath. 

 

Beginning later this spring, a separate project will add one lane in each direction on I-84 between Franklin and Garrity, bringing a third lane to that stretch of freeway.

No additional lane closures or restrictions are expected until girders are set for the new bridge in mid-July.

This is the last of six major bridge replacements required on I-84 through Canyon and Ada counties to accommodate additional lanes. Black Cat, Robinson and Orchard came first and are done. Vista, Ten Mile, Garrity and now 11th Avenue are under way.

 

McAlvain Construction is the contractor on this $4.1 million project.

 

NAMPA - Interstate 84, Garrity Interchange Bridge reconstruction

Construction on the I-84 Garrity Interchange improvement project continues. The project will replace two bridges on I-84 at the Garrity Interchange 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.

 

Two lanes southbound and one lane northbound on Garrity under I-84 will be open by the morning commute and be open during the day. Overnight restrictions are not expected to occur on Friday or Saturday nights. Lane restrictions are expected to continue for the next few weeks until the bridge work is completed.

 

ITD will begin flagging around the intersection of the westbound Garrity off-ramp and Garrity Boulevard starting Monday (June 7). The flagging will take place from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Work will be intermittent and should be completed in about two weeks.

 

Flaggers will direct traffic through the construction area. The flagging is being conducted to allow crews to repair and modify the storm-water drainage system.

 

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 eventually four lanes in each direction from the Garrity to Meridian interchanges.

 

The project is being constructed in three stages:

 

Currently Under Way

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.

Tentatively starts December 2010

Stage 2 - Remove the existing westbound bridge and build a new westbound portion of bridge. Westbound traffic will be moved onto the new median section. Two lanes will remain open in each direction.

Tentatively starts Spring 2011

Stage 3 - Remove the existing eastbound bridge and build a 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 on the $15 million project.

 

Following is an update on non-GARVEE state highway construction projects in southwest Idaho.

 

ADA COUNTY

MERIDIAN - Eagle Road resurfacing

The resurfacing project on heavily traveled Eagle Road (Idaho 55) is nearing completion.

Crews are continuing paving work on the northern section of the Franklin-to-Fairview stretch of Eagle Road.  Only a handful of nights are needed to finish paving, but it is weather dependent, and the immediate forecast is not promising. Paving is expected to be completed by next week (June 7-11), with only permanent pavement markings and some drainage and approach issues remaining.

 

Crews are working a Sunday through Thursday, 8 p.m to 6 a.m., overnight schedule to minimize inconvenience for drivers. Two lanes each way, with turn bays, will be maintained at all other times. The speed limit is reduced to 35 mph.

According to the Ada County Highway District (ACHD), the intersection of Eagle and Fairview is the busiest intersection in Ada County and the state. Four intersections on Eagle Road are in ACHD's top eight. This project encompasses three of them. ITD statistics show that only the Flying Wye (134,500) is busier than the 132,500 vehicles the Eagle Road Interchange sees every day.

 

ITD initiated the Eagle Road Arterial Study in 2003. Local municipalities, ACHD, the Community Action Partnership of Southwest Idaho, homeowners associations and ValleyRide were all involved in the initial study. This project is largely a result of those initial meetings.

 

Central Paving Co. Inc. of Boise is the contractor on the $1.35 million project.

 

BOISE COUNTY

NORTH OF HORSESHOE BEND HILL SUMMIT - spot repair

Equipment issues have delayed the start of repairs to a slight depression on Idaho 55 on the north side of Horseshoe Bend Hill until Sunday (June 6).

Crews will shore up an area about 400 feet long near the Horseshoe View Subdivision at milepost 60.4, which is about halfway down from the summit on the Horseshoe Bend side of the hill. The work is expected to be complete in July.
 
This section of roadway has settled about 18 inches since it was paved in the early 1980s. Crews will grind the pavement off, add about 1,500 cubic yards of road base to restore the road level, re-compact it and pave over the new surface.
 
The damaged area extends across both directions of travel. Work will start in the southbound lanes. ITD will close both southbound lanes and shift the traffic onto the two northbound lanes with tubular markers (candle sticks) along the center line to help divide traffic. After work on the southbound lanes is completed, crews will reverse the operation for the northbound lanes.
 
The speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph through the work zone. The road will be reduced to one lane in each direction. ITD will separate the work zone from traffic with concrete guardrail.

This $22,000 project will be done by State forces, with assistance from Western Construction for the rotomilling and Idaho Sand & Gravel on the paving. Knife River is contracted to supply the road base material for compaction.

CANYON COUNTY

CALDWELL - Franklin and 21st reconstruction

Lane restrictions were in place Wednesday and Thursday on Specht Avenue as crews poured curb, gutter, and sidewalk in the Franklin and 21st intersection-improvement project in Caldwell. Traffic also will be reduced to one lane for a few hours this afternoon (Friday, June 4), beginning at approximately 1 p.m., while crews perform a paving test strip. Flaggers will direct motorists through the work zone.

 

Next week, roadway paving on Specht will require night work and lane restrictions Tuesday through Friday (June 8-11), weather permitting.

Commercial Way between Specht and Franklin is closed to through traffic. Franklin is 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 streets.  Businesses on Franklin can be accessed via Chicago.

 

The Franklin/21st intersection is about one-quarter mile west of the newly-reconstructed Franklin Interchange (Exit 29). The project will improve sight distance and safety on 21st and includes new asphalt pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk and lighting.

 

The first phase of this project, about a quarter-mile section of 21st, 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 - Main Street resurfacing

Work is under way on a project to resurface and improve a mile of Main Street in Emmett.

 

This project, from the intersection of Boise Avenue to the intersection of Washington Street (Idaho 52), includes pavement rehabilitation to remove excessive rutting and cracking, with pothole repair and slope work included for proper drainage. Sidewalks also will be replaced, maintaining the current 11-foot width, along with curb and gutter work.

 

Lighting and adjustments to the traffic signal at the intersection of Main and Washington also will be included.

 

Traffic was recently switched to the north side of the project, and will remain that way for 6-8 weeks. One-way traffic is allowed through the project area, but no on-street parking is allowed during construction.

 

WF Construction & Sales LLC of Meridian is the contractor on this $475,000 project.

The city of Emmett is the local sponsor for this 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.

 

Crews have clearance for minor blasting and clearing. Paving is expected to begin in July.

Work is proceeding on base and cattle-guard installation.

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.

 

PAYETTE COUNTY

WEST OF CALDWELL - I-84 resurfacing, Black Canyon to Sand Hollow

The pavement resurfacing and repair project on I-84 west of Caldwell is under way. The project, funded through stimulus savings, will treat the roadway surface beginning west of the Black Canyon Interchange and extending for five miles, to east of the Sand Hollow Interchange.

 

All traffic within the project area has been traveling on the westbound side of the interstate for several weeks. Crews continue replacing damaged concrete slabs on eastbound I-84.

 

During the majority of the work, only one interstate lane will be open in both directions. 

 

The speed limit is 45 mph over the median crossovers, and 55 mph between them.

 

The project is expected to be complete this fall.

 

Several badly damaged concrete slabs in that stretch will be removed and replaced. Repairs also will include resealing pavement joints, repairing pavement cracks and chips, grinding portions off of the existing pavement surface and completing guardrail safety improvements. Work will start in the eastbound lanes (through July), then turn around and come back westbound.

 

A highly competitive construction environment led to significant savings on the eight original projects funded by the federal stimulus program ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). This is one of nine smaller projects financed through those initial bid savings.

 

Multiple Concrete Enterprises of Ogden, Utah, is the contractor on the $6.9 million project.

 

FRUITLAND, PAYETTE  - pavement resurfacing

Work began June 1 on several pavement rehabilitation projects encompassing about six miles of U.S. 95 from north Fruitland to north Payette as well as about one-half mile of U.S. 30 between the Snake River and Fruitland. In addition to resurfacing, pavement cracks also will be filled throughout the project area.

One lane will be closed on U.S. 95 between Fruitland and Payette in the project area for the first week of June. Paving is expected to start the week of June 7. Flaggers will be on site to assist with traffic control.

 

Starting Tuesday, crews identified the cracks that needed to be filled north of the Payette River. But due to the weather, no other work has been completed. The contractor will still try to pave sometime next week (June 7-11).

Standard work hours will be 7 a.m. to dusk Monday through Thursday, and to noon on Friday. No weekend work is expected. There may be some overnight (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) work when the contractor is working on the signalized intersections at U.S. 95 and U.S. 30 (Gayway Junction) and the U.S. 95/95 Spur intersection south of Payette. The traffic signals at those intersections will be upgraded to video detection-based operating systems.

Part of this resurfacing work must be completed by mid-June, prior to work beginning on the Payette River Bridge reconstruction project.

Knife River of Boise is the contractor on this $2.1 million project.

 

FRUITLAND - S. Pennsylvania Avenue resurfacing

A project to resurface South Pennsylvania Avenue in Fruitland is slated to begin Monday (June 7). Construction is expected to last about two months.

The project will include a mill and overlay (about two inches of the existing surface will be removed, and replaced with two inches of new pavement) between U.S. 95 and SW 4th Street. Improvements to the existing crosswalks and advanced signing will be constructed to increase pedestrian safety. After this overlay, pavement markings would be replaced and will improve vehicle circulation at the elementary and middle schools.

South Pennsylvania Avenue is an integral part of the transportation system for Fruitland. It is the only roadway access to the Fruitland elementary and middle schools and also provides approach to the Fruitland intermediate and high schools. The avenue also serves as a northbound gateway into Fruitland.

The city of Fruitland is the local sponsor of this project, and also is participating financially.

 

Irvco Asphalt & Gravel Inc. of Fruitland is the contractor on this $298,000 project.

WASHINGTON COUNTY

WEISER - Snake River Bridge replacement

The project to replace the Snake River Bridge on the U.S. 95 Spur in Weiser 

is nearing completion.

The bridge connects Annex, Ore., to Weiser.

A few more items need to be finished on the project:
- Permanent signs installed
- Final striping
- Asphalt in the bridge islands
- Planting and seeding in the project area

- Final clean-up items on the bridge

 

Traffic control remains operational when needed. Flaggers will be used, but the type and location of the work will dictate how many flaggers (if any) are needed.

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 one 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 is expected to be substantially completed soon.

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.