1/14/2011
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Jan. 14-21
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.
Westbound motorists
bound for the Vista or Orchard interchanges will continue using temporary ramp
lanes at the Broadway Interchange until late 2010. The speed limit is 45 mph on
the temporary ramp lanes.
Concrete Placing Co., of
Boise, is the contractor. 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.
Westbound
I-84 will be reduced to one lane from 10 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 23) to 5 a.m. Monday
(Jan. 24) while sign poles are installed on the interstate. Restrictions will
continue at night the week of Jan. 23.
All
lanes on Ten Mile Road are closed between Franklin and Overland roads. The
Meridian Police and Ada County Sheriffs Department are enforcing the area.
Violators will be ticketed for reckless driving.
The Ada County Highway District will begin to
widen Ten Mile Road between the Ridenbaugh Canal and Overland Road in late
January. Updates and traffic impacts from the ACHD project will be posted at www.achdidaho.org
under Projects and Studies.
The
speed limit is 55 mph on I-84.
Idaho Sand & Gravel is the contractor
on this $33.8 million project, which is expected to be complete in summer 2011.
The landscaping, under a separate
$580,000 contract to Franz Witte Landscape Contracting, is set to begin this
spring when the ground thaws.
NAMPA
- Franklin to 11th interstate widening
As part of the project to widen Interstate 84 between the
Franklin Boulevard and Garrity Boulevard interchanges in Nampa, crews have
nearly completed construction of two new bridges over the Union Pacific
Railroad (UPRR) and Phyllis Canal. However, any concrete work on the bridges is
on hold due to the weather, as is concrete paving in the median.
A large section of I-84 in the project area was restriped
last week.
Also, to improve visibility for motorists, yellow and white
reflectors (similar to those used on the Cole to Broadway project) will be
installed onto guardrails.
Replacement of the bridges will accommodate 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 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 farthest 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 replaces two bridges on
I-84 at the Garrity Interchange with a single bridge to 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.
Construction crews are not able to do a lot of the work
while temperatures are below freezing at the interchange. In the meantime, ITD
will continue performing maintenance work and minor repairs. Major construction
activities should resume the week of Jan. 17. Also, as soon as weather permits,
crews will refresh the paint striping on Garrity Boulevard under the bridge.
Once the weather warms up, pile driving will begin on the eastbound bridge.
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 entire project is being constructed
in three stages:
COMPLETED
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.
CURRENTLY UNDER WAY
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
- Floating Feather Road/Idaho 16 intersection turnbay project
A
project to add a turnbay to the intersection of Floating Feather Road to serve
north- and southbound traffic is expected to begin soon. Traffic control will
be set Wednesday (Jan. 19) and the project is expected to begin Jan. 24.
The
bridge must be completed by March 15, in time for the irrigation season. The
roadwork will finish by May 1.
A 10-foot irrigation structure (concrete box culvert) exists within the
project's limits and will be extended on both sides of Idaho 16 to allow for
the lane addition. The project also involves some road widening.
During the project, traffic will use one lane in each direction, just as it is
now. The speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph.
Deer Flat Sand & Gravel Inc., of Nampa, is the contractor on this $266,000
project.
BOISE
COUNTY
East
of Boise - Mores Creek Bridge upgrade
A project to update the Mores Creek
Bridge (commonly known as the High Bridge) on Idaho 21 east of Boise is under
way.
During this work, the bridge deck and
joints will be rehabilitated and the bridge parapet and railing replaced. Work
on the foundation during the low-water winter period will include a retaining
wall, rock anchoring, slope armoring, and seismic retrofit. Portions of
the structural steel will be painted along with other repairs on the structure.
During the nine-month project, traffic
across the bridge will be controlled by signals at either end, with only one
direction allowed to pass through at a time. Under normal conditions, the
delays are expected to be 15 to 45 minutes in length. In addition, a nine-foot
width restriction will be in effect.
RSCI, of Meridian, is the contractor on
the $2.8 million project.
CANYON
COUNTY
NAMPA
City traffic signal synchronization
A project began on Jan. 3 to link traffic
signals to create a more efficient traffic flow in and around downtown Nampa.
This six-month project will allow traffic
signals to be synchronized through fiber optics and will add pedestrian signals
with countdown indicators at intersections. The signal improvements will
mean people who drive the posted speed through the area should have fewer stops
for red lights.
The work will be done primarily on 2nd
and 3rd Street South and on 12th and 16th Avenue South. Signals on 7th Street
South also will be included, as will the signal at 1st Street South and 11th
Avenue South.
The contractor has drilled and installed conduit down 16th
Avenue from 7th Street to 2nd Street, and has started the same work
down 7th Street from 11th Avenue to 12th Avenue.
There will be intermittent lane closures on 16th Avenue and
12th Avenue (Idaho 45) during non-peak hours for equipment storage and utility
exploration.
Construction crews will try to limit
closures to sidewalks and parking stalls in the work areas. The contract does
allow for lane closures if necessary, but only between the hours of 8:30 a.m.
and 4 p.m.
Quality Electric Inc., of Boise, is the
construction contractor on this $1.01 million project. The city of Nampa paid
for the design on this project and will pay a portion of the construction
contract cost. No ITD funds are being expended on this off-system project. The
funding breakdown is almost 93 percent Federal Aid and just over 7 percent
Local funding. ITD is involved as a steward of the federal aid monies.
NAMPA
- Robinson Road Overpass safety railing
The Robinson Road
bridge railing is now in
place and lane closures are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday nights (10
p.m. to 5 a.m.) to anchor the bolts and grout the plates.
The rail, a rigid metal mesh, extends across both sides of the structure on top
of the concrete parapet.
The work is being
done at the request of the city of Nampa.
The entire project is expected to last about two weeks. One lane of traffic
will be maintained across the overpass, with occasional nighttime I-84 lane and
shoulder closures (10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on
weekends).
Randell
Concrete Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on this $149,000 project.
ELMORE
COUNTY
MOUNTAIN
HOME Canyon Creek Bridge replacement
Replacement of the old, narrow Canyon
Creek Bridge is under way. 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 through 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 contractor is still working on the formwork for the end
diaphragms, after which the concrete will be poured.
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
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.
The cofferdam has been removed from the
south side and is being set up on north side to begin construction on piers 4
and 5. The traffic
pattern will remain the same - one lane in each direction - but it will be on
the new half of the bridge sometime this spring or summer.
JC Constructors Inc., of Meridian, is the
contractor for this $6.17 million project.
The Idaho Transportation Department is in
charge of all roads within the State Highway System interstates, state
highways and U.S. routes. All other roads are the responsibility of the local
city or county entity.
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.