9/30/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Oct. 1-8
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*
The
Vista Interchange reconstruction project is now substantially complete. The speed
limit has returned to 35 mph on Vista Avenue.
The
$17.8 million project added capacity, reduced congestion and accommodated
future lanes on I-84.
* 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 state's
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.
Westbound
motorists bound for the Vista or Orchard interchanges will continue using the
temporary ramp lanes at the Broadway Interchange until early 2011. The speed
limit is 45 mph on the temporary ramp lanes.
The
right-hand ramp lane will be closed at night for the next several weeks.
Restrictions will occur between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on week nights, and until 7
a.m. on weekends.
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
Work is progressing on a project to widen
Interstate 84 between the Franklin Boulevard and Garrity Boulevard interchanges
in Nampa.
I-84 motorists can expect
ongoing nighttime lane reductions between Franklin and 11th Avenue from 10 p.m.
to 5 a.m., Sunday evenings through Friday mornings. This allows crews to safely
work along the shoulder while excavating, grading and performing pipe work in
the median.
Crews will soon begin concrete paving in the median once pipe work is complete
and new roadbed is in place. Paving is scheduled overnight between 10 p.m. and
5 a.m.
These newly paved sections will eventually carry traffic, though that may be
months from now, after bridge work is complete.
The widening project includes replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad
(UPRR) and Phyllis Canal bridges to accommodate the additional lanes on I-84.
The UPRR Bridge has been partially dismantled to prepare for reconstruction in
the median between eastbound and westbound lanes. A portion of the Phyllis
Canal is slated for demolition in early November, after the irrigation season
is complete.
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 Franklin and
Garrity 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 - 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.
The westbound
Garrity off-ramp will return to its original configuration in about two weeks.
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.
Here
are a few traffic impacts on the horizon:
- The
new dedicated right-turn lane on to the westbound on-ramp from Garrity
Boulevard is open. Some work is still to be completed on or near the turn
lane, but it is open for traffic.
- The
westbound off-ramp is getting close to completion and should be open the
second week of October if all goes as scheduled. The ramp will allow
traffic to use the far right lane on I-84 as a dedicated exit lane. This
should reduce some of the congestion during the evening commute and for
Idaho Center events.
- There
will be a closure of westbound I-84 overnight at the end of October. The
closure is needed to install the new overhead sign over the freeway. It is
the last scheduled I-84 closure for this project.
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 & VALLEY COUNTY
Idaho 55 bridge deck repairs
Three
bridge decks spanning Idaho 55 in Ada and Valley counties will have surface
cracks repaired. The project is expected only to last several weeks.
The
work will extend the life of the bridges. The cracks vary in size, and are
caused by general wear-and-tear and the aging concrete. The project will fill
the cracks and then seal the repaired surface. A full-width concrete
waterproofing also will be added
The
bridges are at Lake Fork near milepost 135, Boulder Creek near milepost 131 and
Dry Creek near milepost 48. Dry Creek Bridge is about 28-and-a-half miles north
of the U.S. 20/26 junction. Boulder Creek is on the south side of Donnelly, at
the city limits. The Lake Fork structure is three miles south of the town of
Lake Fork.
Restruction Corp., of West Valley City,
Utah, is the contractor on this $90,000 project.
BOISE/VALLEY COUNTY
BANKS TO
ROUND VALLEY ROCKFALL
A rockfall mitigation project to improve safety along the
highway is under way on Idaho 55 from Banks to Round Valley.
Crews are
working in area #1, at milepost 81. This area has been one of the worst within
the project and has been a challenge. Traffic has been heavy, causing many
delays to the work. This area was estimated to take approximately three days
but with the amount of traffic and existing condition of the slope we are currently
at 10 days. We have increased the hold time to the traffic from 15 minutes to
30 so crews can get this area completed.
The contractor was setting the anchors for hanging wire mesh this past week
(Sept. 27-Oct. 1). He plans to have the wire mesh in place by next week. Also,
he will be starting work on the guardrail, which will require an additional
traffic-control zone. These zones will be short duration, with minimal impact
to traffic.
Loose rock will be removed from the rockfall zone and crews will
add netting to prevent falling rocks from entering the roadway. Work must be
completed by mid-November.
Lane closures and traffic delays will occur during the
removal of the rocks on the slopes and the cleanup required on the road. Delays
could last for more than 15 minutes because of the unpredictability of the size
and amount of rock that could come down at any one time. The operations will
concentrate on one area at a time, but there will be two locations of traffic
control because guardrail at the north end of the project is being removed to
be used during rock-removal operations.
Crews will work on the side of the roads in several locations along this
26-mile stretch of highway (milepost 76 to 102). Crews are working a
weekdays-only schedule, and must be off the road by noon on Fridays.
Western Construction, of Boise, is the contractor on this
$971,000 project.
BOISE
COUNTY
IDAHO
21 - Warm Spring Creek bridge guardrail
Guardrail replacement on the Warm
Spring Creek Bridge on Idaho 21 began Sept. 27. Work is expected to continue
through late October or early November.
The bridge is located at milepost 91, about 19 miles east of Lowman, near the
Bonneville Campground and one-half mile from the South Fork Payette River
Bridge.
Flaggers and the occasional use of a temporary traffic signal will be required
for traffic control. The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph through the work
zone.
MarCon Inc., of Meridian, is the contractor on this $177,000 project.
CANYON
COUNTY
MIDDLETON- road improvement projects
Crews are
working on two road improvement projects in Middleton: Widening about a third
of a mile section of North Middleton Road from Idaho 44 to Mill Slough (north
of Main Street) and realigning a short segment of Cemetery Road, from Idaho 44
to 3rd Street.
Most work will be performed during the weekdays, though crews may work on
Saturdays as needed. Work hours are limited to 8 a.m. 7 p.m.
During construction the contractor will establish detours around the project
areas, 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.
North Middleton Road
North Middleton Road is closed to through traffic and open to local
residents only. Non-resident motorists driving around road closure signs may be
ticketed.
During the week of Oct. 4, crews will lower water lines that run below N.
Middleton Road between Harmon Way and Second Street to allow for paving. Area
residents are advised to expect water service interruptions on Monday.
Installation of curb, gutter and sidewalk is nearing completion. The curb,
gutter and sidewalk near the waterline work will be completed after the water
lines are relocated.
The Middleton Road widening will include one lane in each direction, a center
turn lane, sidewalks, curb and gutter.
Cemetery Road
A 0.15-mile section Cemetery Road is being realigned, extending from Idaho
44 to 3rd Street.
Next week (Oct. 4-8), traffic will shift onto the new alignment of Cemetery
Road. The road will be open to one lane of traffic in each direction.
The traffic switch will allow crews to work on a section of Cemetery Road that
will become a residential cul-de-sac off of Idaho 44. The cul-de-sac will be
renamed North Highland Court.
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 winding down.
The contractor is expected to complete
paving operations by today or Saturday (Oct. 1 or 2). The roadway will be
striped and guardrail installed next week (week ending Oct. 9). Mailboxes
removed for the project are also expected to be re-installed next week.
The project used the CRABS (Cement Recycled Asphalt Base
Stabilization) method of pavement rehabilitation. In addition, existing
guardrail was 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 is 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.
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.
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
early October, a few weeks ahead of schedule.
Remaining work
entails replacing some joint material, which doesnt take a lot of people and
equipment, so it could appear that no work is happening. Crews also performed
shoulder work and installed delineators this week while finishing the joints. Next
week crews will also grind rumble strips.
ITD is planning
to open both sides of the freeway this weekend. There will still be some lane
closures following that, but traffic will be on their own sides of the
interstate.
Several badly damaged concrete slabs in
the 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.
Crews are dismantling the existing
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 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 a.m. to 6 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.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the
contractor for the $3.6 million Donnelly to Deinhard 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
nearly finished. Topsoil work and seeding remain.
The topsoil is
in the process of being tested before being used.
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.
Applying
topsoil and seeding the area still remain to be done this fall.
Sletten Construction, of Boise, is the contractor on this $10 million project.
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.