6/28/2010
Construction of Menan-Lorenzo Interchange to resume Wednesday (June 30)
RIGBY ‑ Construction of the Menan‑Lorenzo Interchange (overpass) on U.S. Highway 20 north of Rigby will resume Wednesday (June 30), the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction, and the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in the construction zone. Traffic will be detoured around the construction area as needed.
During construction, motorists should watch for construction workers and equipment and obey all traffic signs.
Initial work on the project was installation of a 550‑foot‑long concrete culvert under U.S. 20 to carry the water of the Island Canal at Lorenzo. Installation was completed April 21.
Western Construction Inc. of Boise was the contractor for the $378,000 culvert installation contract. Oldcastle Precast Inc. of Idaho Falls manufactured the box culvert at a cost of $639,000.
In May, the transportation department awarded HK Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls the $8.7 million contract for constructing the new interchange atop the new culvert. The department estimates the project will be finished in August next year.
The project will elevate U.S. 20 to pass over the Menan‑Lorenzo Highway, which will be realigned and improved south of its current location.
As construction starts, the contractor will permanently close all remaining direct accesses to U.S. 20 between Rigby and the Snake River, including 600 North, 605 North, old Menan‑Lorenzo Highway exit and Blue Heron Inn exit. Motorists thereafter must access areas east and west of U.S. 20 via the north Rigby interchange and the Menan‑Lorenzo interchange when it is complete.
Visitors to the Blue Heron Inn must reach it via a temporary access road north of the intersection of Island Canal and Yellowstone Highway. Drivers must access this temporary road via 4200 East, which runs north and south on the east side of U.S. 20.
Eliminating direct access onto busy state highways improves highway safety, given that such intersections create dangerous conflict points for through and local traffic.
During construction, the Lorenzo Boat Access exit and the Archer exit (River Bridge Road) north of the river will remain open, except drivers will not be able to turn south onto U.S. 20 from the River Bridge Road intersection, which runs east into 6800 South in Madison County.
The new interchange will include north and south entrances and exits to improve entrance onto and exit from both U.S. 20 and the Menan‑Lorenzo Highway.
To obtain necessary right of way for the project, the transportation department purchased property from 25 landowners along the planned site of the interchange.
For information on construction/maintenance projects along Idaho highways, visit the Idaho Traveler Services Web site at 511.idaho.gov or dial 5‑1‑1 on phones within the state. Outside Idaho, dial toll‑free (888) 432‑7623. Information is updated as conditions change.