10/22/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Oct. 22-29
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, 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.
Motorists
will use new westbound ramps at the Vista and Orchard interchanges next week.
Crews will switch traffic to the new ramps on Sunday and Monday nights (Oct. 24
and 25).
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.
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.
All
lanes on I-84 will be closed overnight between the Garrity and Meridian
interchanges on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 22 and 23) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
each night.
The closures will
allow the Ten Mile Interchange contractor to continue disassembling the
200-foot wood-and-steel structure that supported the new bridge during initial
construction.
Starting
Sunday (Oct. 24), I-84 will be reduced to one lane in both directions at night
for the next few weeks. The restrictions will affect a three-mile stretch
between the Meridian Road Interchange and Black Cat Road overpass.
Restrictions and closures will occur
between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weeknights, and between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on the
weekend.
The $33.8 million project is expected to
be complete in summer 2011.
The landscapers
are mobilizing onsite starting in early November. The initial work this fall
will be the placement of irrigation and sprinkler pipe. Locations of pipe
placement will be in the median on Ten Mile Road, in the drainage ponds around
the interchange, and potentially any slopes that are finished and are out of
the contractors way.
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.
Expect ongoing nighttime lane reductions between Franklin and Garrity from 10
p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday evenings through Saturday mornings. This allows crews to
safely work along the shoulder while excavating, grading and performing pipe
work in the median.
Crews are in the early stages of paving sections of the median; this involves
finishing pipe work and preparing the road bed. Paving is scheduled during
overnight hours (10 p.m. - 5 a.m.) and will continue into November. 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.
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.
I-84 will be
closed in both directions from Meridian to Garrity overnight (10 p.m. 7 a.m.)
Friday and Saturday nights (Oct. 22 and Oct. 23). Traffic will be detoured down
Franklin Road and will enter or exit I-84 at the Meridian and Garrity
interchanges.
The
entire 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.
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 - Repair of 10 bridges
Ten bridge decks along Idaho 21 are being
repaired and preserved in a unique highway contract.
The bridges include the Boise River
Bridge at Diversion Dam and one at Chapman Creek. The rest are along Mores
Creek. Under this "Fixed Price/Best Value" contracting method,
construction is likely to finish before winter arrives - just in time for the traveling
public to benefit from the new riding surface on the usually snowy Idaho 21
route.
In contrast to the department's typical method of selecting the lowest
qualified bidder for each project, contractors were asked on this project to
bid the maximum amount of bridge deck rehabilitation they could accomplish
within a fixed budget. The contract was then awarded to the lowest responsible
bidder, defined as the bidder providing the lowest price per square yard of
deck rehab. Each bidder also was asked to tell ITD how long it would take to do
the work.
Truesdell Corp. of Tempe, Arizona, was awarded the contract, based on the
ability to do all 10 bridges - 10,435.5 square yards of bridge decks - for the
$700,000 price tag.
IDAHO
21 - Warm Spring Creek bridge guardrail
Guardrail replacement on the Warm
Spring Creek Bridge on Idaho 21 is under way. 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 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 between Idaho 44 and
Main Street is closed to through traffic and open to local residents only.
Non-resident motorists driving around road closure signs may be ticketed.
Crews are paving North Middleton Road
this week between Idaho 44 and Main Street. Lanes will be marked with temporary
tabs before crews paint permanent lane stripes. Permanent markings for crosswalks
and stop lines at intersections will also be installed.
Curb, gutter and sidewalk work is
complete in this area. Before project completion, crews will return to repair
sections of roadway and adjacent landscaping that were disturbed during
previous water line work.
During the week of Oct. 25, work will
shift north, to the section of North Middleton Road between Main Street and the
south side of the canal bridge, just south of Mill Creek School. The widening
will include one lane in each direction, a center turn lane, sidewalks, curb
and gutter. Work on this section is anticipated to be complete in December.
This section of road will be closed during construction. Traffic will be
detoured by way of Triumph Drive and Dewey Avenue to access Idaho 44.
Cemetery Road
A 0.15-mile section of Cemetery Road is
being realigned, extending from Idaho 44 to 3rd Street.
The new alignment is in place and traffic
has been shifted to the new alignment so that crews can work on the section of
Cemetery Road that will become a residential cul-de-sac off of Idaho 44 (to be
called North Highland Court). The Cemetery Road section is open to one lane of
traffic in each direction. Curb, gutter and sidewalk are also complete along
this section.
Crews will be working on curb, gutter and
sidewalk on North Highland Court and anticipate paving in the coming week to 10
days.
To address pedestrian safety across Idaho
44 and along the new Cemetery Road/Idaho 44 intersection, crews have
implemented a pedestrian detour route to safely navigate the project area.
Additional signage has been added to direct pedestrian traffic, and the 25 mph
zone is extended 300 feet west of the construction area.
A temporary crosswalk has been added at
3rd Street to keep pedestrians away from the work zone. In addition, cones were
added along Idaho 44 to create a safe corridor for pedestrians who are passing
near the construction area.
ELMORE
COUNTY
MOUNTAIN
HOME Canyon Creek Bridge replacement
Replacement of the old, narrow Canyon Creek Bridge is
expected to begin Monday (Oct. 25).
The bridge is located near milepost 9 on Canyon Creek Road, north of Mountain
Home.
The road, which sees a fair amount of hunting-related
traffic each fall, will be completely closed from Oct. 29 to late January.
The detour route will start at the intersection of Canyon
Creek Road and Frontage Road, and continue west past the Sunset Highway on Old
Oregon Trail Highway. The detour will cross I-84 to the north at Ditto Creek
road and continue along Martha Avenue to the east, back to Canyon Creek.
The bridge replacement also involves minimal approach work to the connecting
roads to ensure that the bridge and road fit together seamlessly. The bridge
also will include guardrail (railing), which the old bridge lacks.
The Mountain Home Highway District is the local sponsor of the project.
McAlvain Contractors, of Boise, is the contractor on this
$493,000 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, from the Black Canyon Interchange
to east of the Sand Hollow Interchange, is substantially complete.
Crews will
continue final project clean-up and some minor items.
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.
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 starting to wrap
up.
Crews will complete pavement markings
this weekend if weather allows. Normally crews have to be off the roadway
during the weekend, but that requirement is waived in the case of roadway
striping due to the added safety benefits of finishing the striping early, and
a minimal disruption to traffic.
Next
weeks activities include finishing striping if necessary, re-installing snow
poles, and finishing some culvert work.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the
contractor for this $3.6 million 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.
Applying
topsoil and seeding the area still remain to be done.
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.
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.