8/20/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Aug. 20-27
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*
ITD
is finishing the last stage of reconstruction on the Vista interchange. The
project will reduce congestion and accommodate more lanes on I-84.
Vista Avenue
and both intersections (Elder Street/Sunrise Rim and Airport Way/Wright Street)
will be reduced to one lane in each direction Monday and Tuesday nights (Aug.
23 and 24). Flaggers will direct traffic from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. while crews
complete paving and striping the entire 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 or early fall 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 the states 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.
Beginning
at the Broadway Interchange on Friday (Aug. 27), all westbound traffic will be
shifted to the middle of I-84 on the eastbound side of I-84.
Motorists
needing to exit at the Vista or Orchard interchanges will need to exit at
Broadway from Friday night (Aug. 27) to Monday morning (Aug. 30). Monday (Aug.
30) traffic needing to exit at the Vista or Orchard interchanges will be
directed to use a new temporary ramp lane just west of the Broadway
Interchange.
Traffic
will be in this configuration for the next six months. The speed limit on the
temporary exit lane is 45 mph and I-84 westbound through traffic is 55 mph.
For
more information on the traffic shift please go to itd.idaho.gov/projects/d3
and click on I-84, Cole to Broadway Interchange Project.
Between
the Cole and Broadway interchanges, one east- and westbound lane will continue
to have intermittent lane restrictions overnight between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
through Aug. 26.
Crews will pave new lanes 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 includes several improvements to Ten Mile Road.
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 - Franklin to 11th interstate
widening
Nighttime lane reductions continue for
eastbound Interstate 84 traffic between Franklin Boulevard and 11th Avenue, in
Nampa. Lanes will be reduced between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., Sunday evenings
through Friday mornings, allowing crews to safely work along the shoulder,
excavating, grading and performing pipe work.
Crews also are building temporary lanes along the eastbound shoulders. These
lanes will be paved next week. During the weekend of August 27, all I-84
eastbound traffic will shift to these newly constructed temporary lanes. The
shift will happen overnight, and be complete by the Monday morning commute.
Crews will then begin temporary widening for the westbound lanes.
The project also includes replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and
Phyllis Canal bridges. The UPRR bridge is slated for demolition in late
August/early September; overnight lane reductions will be required for this
work. Bridge projects at Garrity and 11th are also under way to accommodate the
additional lanes on I-84.
Construction is expected to
be complete by early summer 2012.
Concrete Placing Company, of Boise is the
contractor on this $22.2 million project.
Once these interstate improvements are complete, I-84 between the Franklin and
Garrity interchanges will be widened to three lanes in each direction, with an
additional auxiliary lane for eastbound traffic. The auxiliary lane will allow
motorists to enter I-84 at Franklin, remain in the lane furthest right, and
exit at Garrity - never having to merge with interstate traffic.
NAMPA 11th Avenue Bridge
Work continues to progress on the 11th
Avenue Bridge in Nampa. Crews are installing light pole bases, sidewalk, curb
and gutter. Ongoing activity includes construction of retaining walls and
bridge approaches.
Bridge paving is planned for late August, and traffic would be allowed to begin
using the bridge by early September. Also in late August, crews will remove
brackets and temporary structures used to support the bridge during the
construction process. Expect lane reductions on I-84, which will be necessary
to allow crews to safely remove these materials.
Some additional work, including minor clean-up and final construction
activities, are anticipated to be complete by mid-September.
The 11th Avenue Bridge closed to all traffic in May. Reconstruction of the
bridge is required to allow the addition of one lane in each direction on I-84
between Franklin Boulevard and Garrity Boulevard.
McAlvain Civil Constructors the
contractor on the $4.1 million 11th Avenue Bridge 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.
Traffic impact
highlights and new items this week are as follows:
- ITD is providing
flaggers at the I-84 on-ramps at Garrity, following larger Idaho Center events,
to move traffic through the construction area more efficiently. The X-Fest
concert Thursday (Aug. 26) is expected to be the final large concert of the
summer.
- I-84
westbound shoulders will be reduced from the Garrity Interchange west for approximately
one-quarter mile starting Monday (Aug. 23). This configuration is expected to
last two weeks while crews place concrete pavement.
The westbound
bridge should be ready to set girders in the middle of September, requiring an
overnight closure of Garrity.
ITD will supply
extra flaggers at Garrity and I-84 tonight (Friday, Aug. 13) for the Vans
Warped Tour. About 8,000 attendees are expected.
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
Step
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.
Step
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 Dec./Jan.
Step
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
BOISE - Broadway Avenue resurfacing
A resurfacing project on Broadway Avenue
(U.S. 20) from the Ridenbaugh Canal to the south side of the I-84 junction is
under way. The project is expected to finish in late August.
Crews
will be repaving Broadway Avenue from I-84 to the eastbound ramps. There
will be intermittent ramp closures for eastbound I-84 traffic, and detours will
be set.
Ramp traffic will be detoured to the Gowen and Vista interchanges during the
closures.
Crews have completed all resurfacing work through the Federal Way ramps and
from the New York Canal to the Ridenbaugh Canal.
Crews also will be updating the traffic
signals at the Federal Way and I-84 ramps to include a video-detection system.
Broadway was resurfaced from Rossi Street to the Ridenbaugh Canal in fall 2008,
including pedestrian ramp reconstruction. Broadway was resurfaced from the
Boise River Bridge to Rossi Street in summer 2003.
Central Paving Co., of Boise, is the contractor on this $556,000 project.
CHINDEN
BOULEVARD - Seal coat from Eagle Road to Caldwell
Seal-coat work on Chinden Boulevard is
under way. The seal coat will extend the life of the roadway and provide
greater traction for motorists.
The ongoing seal coating project on
Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26) may result in significant delays for residents
traveling east to the Western Idaho Fair Saturday, or traveling west to the
Caldwell Nite Rodeo in the evening. The seal coat will extend the life of the
roadway and provide greater traction for motorists.
Delays of up to 20 minutes are expected
as traffic volumes increase throughout the day. Pilot cars and flaggers will be
used to guide traffic.
Crews will work on the section between
Aviation Way and Middleton Road on the Caldwell end of the project Saturday
morning at 8 a.m.. Work also will include the addition of turnbays at four
intersections with Chinden at KCID Road, Northside Boulevard, Midland Boulevard
and Can-Ada Road. All four locations have significant accident histories. The
KCID/Chinden intersection is on the High Accident Location list for the
Southwest Idaho region.
Crews are planning to then return to
work on the section from Locust Grove east to Eagle Road on Sunday, and are
trying to finish the entire 15-mile Chinden Boulevard work completely by
Monday. This will allow them to start seal coating on Idaho 55 from the
overhead message sign at Shadow Valley Golf Course to Horseshoe Bends south
city limits on Tuesday (Aug. 24). That project spans about 13 miles, and is
expected to finish by early September.
Seal coating begins by applying a layer
of asphalt, then a cover coat of gravel on the roadway surface. The highway is
rolled and traffic allowed on to the roadway to help pack the surface before
"brooming" or sweeping to remove excess gravel. A properly applied
seal coat can add several years of service to a heavily traveled roadway by
sealing the surface and adding roughness for winter traction.
The work is done during the day to allow extreme heat to help asphalt and rock
bond more quickly to the roadway surface, providing a higher-quality finished
product.
Kloepfer Inc., of Paul, is the contractor
on the $1.9 million projects.
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
continue.
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 within the next few weeks.
Crews completed
roadway base repair at milepost 60.6 and did some grader patching to finish the
work this week just in time for a seal coat to begin from the overhead
message sign at Shadow Valley Golf Course through this area and south to Horseshoe
Bend starting Tuesday (Aug. 24).
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 of Idaho 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
MIDDLETON- road improvement projects
The widening of a 0.3-mile section of
North Middleton Road from Idaho 44 to Mill Slough (north of Main Street) is
under way. The widening will include one lane in each direction, a center turn
lane, sidewalks, curb and gutter.
North Middleton Road is closed to through traffic. Access is for local
residents only. Non-resident motorists driving around road closure signs may be
ticketed.
Idaho Power crews will relocate poles during the week of Aug. 23-27. On
Thursday (Aug. 26), Intermountain Gas crews will lower gas lines. Work will
continue into the following week. No service interruptions are anticipated with
this utility work.
Crews have completed removal of trees and shrubs from the city right-of-way,
one of the first activities to prepare for the road improvements. Other work
completed within the last week includes removal of old asphalt, and building
ramps for local resident driveway access.
Crews will work weekdays, 8
a.m. 7 p.m.
This project also will include realignment of a 0.15-mile section of Cemetery
Road.
Middleton Road near Idaho 44 is a growing residential area with increasing
vehicle and pedestrian use.
During construction, the contractor will establish detours around the project
area using local roads.
To accommodate the growing demand on this
section of roadway, crews will widen the road in that area to include wider
roadways, center turn lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalk.
Traffic on this stretch of road is
projected to grow from nearly 3,900 vehicles per day in the most recent count
(Oct. 2006) to 11,200 per day by 2035.
Mill Creek Elementary School is on
Middleton Road within the construction area, so the project also will promote
pedestrian and student safety with improved sidewalks and crosswalks.
During construction, the contractor will establish detours around the project
area, using local roads.
Work is planned to be complete in late
December.
Nampa Paving & Asphalt Co. is the
contractor on this $884,000 combined project.
GEM COUNTY
EMMETT - Main Street resurfacing
Work
is finishing 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 are included.
A ribbon-cutting
ceremony is planned for next Friday (Aug. 27).
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.
OWYHEE COUNTY
HOMEDALE U.S. 95 paving from Idaho 55
to South City Limits
A 7.3-mile
pavement rehabilitation project on U.S. 95 from the junction with Idaho 55 to
the South City Limits of Homedale is under way.
It is expected to be completed in late September.
The project will use the CRABS (Cement Recycled Asphalt Base
Stabilization) method of pavement rehabilitation. In addition, existing
guardrail will be upgraded, shoulder rumble strips installed for the length of
the project and an additional width (up to two feet) added to each side of the
roadway
A project by State maintenance forces this spring added to
the gravel shoulders in that area in preparation for this project.
This project also will be coupled with a thin-lift overlay
resurfacing (1.8 inches of new pavement) from the Marsing Port of Entry to the
junction with Idaho 55, about an 8.5-mile stretch.
Next week (Aug.
23-27), crews will continue pavement pulverization and start the CRABS process.
Paving may begin early next week.The width is restricted to 10 feet and will the
speed limit will be lowered to 35 mph. Flaggers and a pilot car will be used throughout
the project.
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 continues. The project, funded
through stimulus savings, begins west of the Black Canyon Interchange and
extends for five miles, to east of the Sand Hollow Interchange.
Crews finished
the concrete slab replacement this week. The dowel bar retrofit - a method of reinforcing cracks in highway
pavement by inserting steel dowel bars in slots cut across the cracks - is still
ongoing, as is pavement grinding. Next week (Aug. 23-27) crews will repave the
asphalt on the interstate right at the approaches to the concrete section.
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 in
September. It is about a month ahead of schedule.
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.
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.
PAYETTE U.S. 95, Payette River Bridge
replacement
The project to
improve the U.S. 95 bridge over the Payette River south of Payette is now under
way. It is expected to take about two years to complete, finishing in fall
2012.
Crews will replace the existing northbound truss bridge (built in 1927) located
on U.S. 95 between Fruitland and Payette. The new bridge will be two feet
higher off the water. It will have no overhead bracing or struts as the current
one does and will be 84 feet in width, eliminating current safety concerns
regarding both width and height restrictions.
The new bridge will be constructed next to, and will attach
to, the existing southbound bridge. The project also includes minor roadway
realignment to tie into the new bridge location.
U.S. 95 is the main route connecting northern and southern Idaho. About 18,000
vehicles use this portion of the highway daily. By 2026, the volume is expected
to be more than 25,000.
Traffic will utilize the southbound bridge while the new bridge is constructed.
Traffic will then be switched to the new bridge while modifications to the
southbound bridge are made and it is connected to the new bridge.
Removal of the bridge deck from the truss
bridge is in progress. The next step is the removal of the steel truss sections
of the bridge.
JC Constructors Inc. of Meridian is the contractor for this
$6.17 million project.
VALLEY
COUNTY
Idaho
55, Donnelly North City Limits to Deinhard Lane in McCall
An 11-mile pavement preservation/resurfacing project between Donnelly's north
city limit and Deinhard Lane on the southern end of McCall is now under way,
using the Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization (CRABS) resurfacing
method. The existing surface will be removed, crushed and mixed with cement,
then reapplied to the highway as a base for the new surface.
The project is expected to take about two months to complete. During
construction, one lane will be closed in the project area, with flaggers
directing traffic.
The work from milepost 132 to 143 also involves some drainage improvements.
Crews are
working a 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
schedule, with no weekend work and crews must be done and off the roadway by
noon on Fridays to accommodate weekend recreational traffic.
This week has been devoted to pipe/culvert replacement, with crews generally working
south toward Donnelly. An asphalt plant has been located near the project's
southern end. The same location will likely be used for a crushing plant to
provide feed materials - rock for the asphalt mix.
Paving on the
project is not expected until after Labor Day.
Culvert replacement will require traffic-control measures (such as a speed
limit reduction to 45 mph, flaggers and pilot cars if needed) while crews
trench across the highway.
Idaho
55, Gold Dust Road Turn Bay, south of Cascade
Work began Monday (Aug. 16) to construct a left-turn bay on Idaho 55 for Gold
Dust Road, about 1.5 miles south of Cascade. The roadway will be widened in
that location (milepost 112) to accommodate the turning lane.
The project is expected to take about a month. During construction, one lane
will be closed in the project area, with flaggers directing traffic.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the contractor for both Valley County projects.
The Gold Dust Road Turn Bay is a $177,000 project, and the Donnelly to Deinhard
contract is $3.6 million.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
WEISER - Snake River Bridge replacement
The
project to replace the Snake River Bridge on the U.S. 95 Spur in Weiser
is
nearly finished.
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.
This past week
(Aug. 9-13), fencing was installed as was permanent signage. No construction is
planned for next week.
Sletten Construction, of Boise, is the contractor on this $10 million project.
The project is expected to be completed by
the end of the month. Final clean-up items continue until then.
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.