6/11/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for June 11-18
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.
The Vista Avenue/Airport Way/ Wright
Street intersection will be reduced to one lane in each direction Sunday (June
13) and Monday (June 14) nights. Flaggers will direct traffic from 10 p.m. to 5
a.m. each night. Crews will be reconstructing and preparing to widen Vista
Avenue.
Motorists can also expect overnight
delays on Vista Avenue and Airport Way Sunday (June 13) and Tuesday (June 15).
Only one lane in each direction will be
open on Vista Avenue between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday and Tuesday nights.
Flaggers will direct motorists as traffic
is moved into the new configuration.
Vista
Avenue traffic will be in this configuration for approximately two weeks while
ITD reconstructs the center lanes of Vista Avenue. Airport Way will be in this
configuration 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.
Flaggers will direct traffic on Tasa
Drive Thursday (June 17) and Friday (June 18) while crews work under the Tasa
Bridge. This work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled.
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
- 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 continues flagging around
the intersection of the westbound Garrity off-ramp and Garrity Boulevard. 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 needed 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
have completed paving, as weather finally allowed. Permanent pedestrian ramp
reconstruction, pavement markings (turn arrows, signage) and permanent striping
will be completed by the end of next week (June 14-18). Boise Valley Railroad
is planning to replace the crossing south of Pine June 18 and 19. Crews will
repave the approach to the crossing immediately after the crossing is replaced.
The project should be finished by the end of the month.
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
Repairs to a slight depression on Idaho
55 on the north side of Horseshoe Bend Hill are now under way.
The
two southbound lanes are closed. The left northbound lane has been closed to
northbound traffic and southbound traffic has been shifted to that lane. Earlier this week crews pulverized and
removed the damaged asphalt. Today (Friday, June 11) crews will start
re-compacting the fill to bring the area back up to the level of the
surrounding roadway.
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.
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
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.
Work this week
included installing pole foundations and grading for curb on the south side of
the road. Next week (June 14-18) curb, gutter and sidewalk work is scheduled.
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. Crews hauled subbase
gravels this week for the roadway foundation. Subbase and base material will be
hauled in next week (June 14-18) as well.
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. In late July, crews should be finished with slab repair on the eastbound
side and begin working in the westbound lanes.
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.
Paving occurred overnight
Thursday, and is planned Monday and Tuesday nights (June 14 and 15) as
resurfacing continues on U.S. 95.
The paving work overnight (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) Thursday went from the Payette
River Bridge toward the south city limits of Payette. Overnight Monday and
Tuesday, paving will go from the bridge south toward Fruitland.
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 under way. 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.
Crews started
removing curb, gutter and sidewalk, and will place new curb, gutter and sidewalk
next week (June 14-18). The mill and overlay is planned in about two
weeks.
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.
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 completed by
mid-July.
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.