6/24/2011
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for June 24-July 1
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.
Overnight detours will affect eastbound traffic between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights (June 28-30) while new overhead sign structures are installed.
- On Tuesday night (June 28), I-84 will be closed from Vista to Broadway.
- On Wednesday night (June 29), I-84 will be closed from Orchard to Vista (Boise Airport).
- On Thursday night (June 30), I-84 will be closed from Cole/Overland to Orchard.
Interstate traffic will be directed each night through a detour route south of I-84. The detour route will go to the airport as well as roads where motorists can re-enter I-84.
Motorists can expect ongoing, intermittent east- and westbound I-84 lane restrictions between Cole/Overland and Broadway interchanges during the month of June. Restrictions will occur from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Concrete Placing Co. Inc., 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
Occasional lane restrictions will continue on Ten Mile Road this summer for landscaping and guardrail work. The speed limit is 35 mph on Ten Mile Road and 55 mph on I-84.
Westbound I-84 will be restricted to two lanes starting early Monday morning (June 27). Traffic will merge from three lanes to two lanes after the interchange exit ramps. The continuous closure will affect a half-mile stretch of westbound I-84 until late July.
Eastbound I-84 has already been reduced from three lanes to two in that area. The outside eastbound lane is scheduled to re-open in early July.
The lane closures will allow ITD to pave I-84 with permanent concrete under the new interchange, which opened on May 25.
?Idaho Sand & Gravel, of Nampa, is the contractor on this $33.8 million project.
All construction is scheduled to be completed later this summer.
The landscaping work is under a separate $580,000 contract to Franz Witte Landscape Contracting, but should also be done by mid-July.
ITD is doing the initial Ten Mile landscaping.
Once the landscaping project is finished, the day-to-day maintenance of that landscaping system reverts to the city of Meridian.
Crews have completed the installation of water meters and vaults, backflow prevention and a water pump on the landscaping project.
NAMPA - I-84 widening, Franklin to Garrity
At Nampa’s Interstate 84 Franklin Boulevard Interchange, lanes are reduced on the westbound off-ramp and on northbound Franklin Boulevard near the exit. The lane reduction will be in effect daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will allow crews to haul material through the area.
Work is anticipated to be completed by late next week. Access to area businesses will remain open.
Removal of two sections of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) bridge spanning the Interstate 84 westbound lanes is compete. Crews are building new bridge abutments here; preliminary activity includes excavation and rock drilling.
For the section of UPRR bridge over the eastbound lanes, crews have installing metal decking and rebar. The concrete deck and abutment walls are scheduled to be poured in the coming week.
Construction of two new bridges over the UPRR and Phyllis Canal will accommodate the additional lanes on I-84. Ongoing activity on the project to widen this stretch of I-84 includes building abutments and retaining walls for the bridges.
Asphalt paving of the eastbound Garrity off-ramp is under way. Work is planned during daytime hours, and traffic will be routed around the work zone. Traffic will be shifted onto the new pavement next week, during nighttime hours.
Motorists can expect ongoing, intermittent nighttime lane closures for both east- and westbound traffic as crews work to complete the project by early summer 2012. All I-84 lanes remain open during the day, and work may be weather dependent. There will be no lane restrictions on the interstate or Franklin Boulevard over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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 is winding down. The contractor expects to finish before the end of the month. 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.
In this project, sidewalks will be built on both sides of Garrity beneath I-84, but pedestrian crossings will only be installed on the east side of Garrity to match up with existing sidewalks and crossing signals. Studies show the heaviest pedestrian use on the east side.
In the future, the city of Nampa may improve the sidewalk being built on the west side by installing pedestrian crossings and signals.
An island curb limiting left turns onto Ridgecrest was installed on Garrity Boulevard last week. Garrity paving is complete and the sidewalks nearly finished. Concrete paving continues on the ramps.
Motorists traveling through the Garrity Interchange can expect delays through Monday (June 27) from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. The delays began Thursday night.
Flaggers will guide motorist through the area as lanes are adjusted to allow for ramp paving and permanent striping.
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.
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.
VARIOUS COUNTIES
A seal coat will be applied on State Street (Idaho 44) starting just after the morning commute on Monday (June 27). It is the first of several seal coats on roadway surfaces throughout the southwest Idaho region this summer.
The seal coat will extend the life of the roadway and provide greater traction for motorists.
The seal coat on State Street will begin just west of the Glenwood intersection and proceed west 2.3 miles to the junction with Idaho 55, where the road cuts off north toward McCall. Weather permitting, the work will only take about three or four days. The contractor will then move up Idaho 55 to the overhead message board near the Shadow Valley Golf Course and work back south to the Idaho 44 junction. Weather permitting, this will take another four to five days.
Speed limits will be reduced. Traffic will be controlled by lane closures, lane restrictions or pilot cars. Motorists can expect delays of up to 20 minutes.
A 14-mile seal coat is also planned on Idaho 55, between Zachary Road in McCall and Boulder Creek Bridge in Donnelly in mid-July. A 28-mile seal coat will follow on Idaho 71 from the Snake River Bridge at Brownlee Dam in Hell’s Canyon to the U.S. 95 junction in Cambridge later that month.
Crews will work a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekday schedule on these projects. Work is not anticipated on the weekends, but it is not prohibited except near McCall. On Idaho 55, crews can only work Monday through Friday and have to be off the road by noon on Fridays. Crews can’t work on the weekends due to the heavy recreational and tourism interests in that area during the summer months.
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. All brooming will be done at night on all projects.
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 the heat to help asphalt and rock bond more quickly to the roadway surface, providing a higher-quality finished product.
Snake River Construction, of Kimberly, Idaho, is the contractor on this $700,000 project.
In August, seal coats are also planned for the Notus, Parma, Murphy and Nampa areas under a separate contract
ADA COUNTY
BOISE – Cloverdale bridge deck rehabilitation
The first major resurfacing of the Cloverdale Overpass bridge deck is under way. It began on June 20.
The project on the Cloverdale bridge (circa 1966) is expected to be completed by the middle of July. Similar to the Five Mile bridge deck project two summers ago, it will be short in duration, but with a complete closure during work.
The project involves milling away the existing surface, repairing any scarring or deterioration around the reinforcing steel and removing any old patches.
The deck will be repaved with concrete including a “micro-silica” additive that produces a more dense mixture that is more resistant to normal wear from traffic.
In addition to the resurfacing, the approaches to the bridge will be rebuilt and paved about 50 feet back from the bridge deck for a smoother transition.
In 2007, two exterior bridge girders over the eastbound lanes of I-84 were replaced due to an over-height truck load striking the underside of the structure in July 2006.
Currently, 12,000 vehicles per day pass over the Cloverdale bridge. By 2030, it is expected to see more than 20,000 vehicles per day.
Concrete Placing Co. Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on this $280,000 project.
EAST BOISE – Broadway Ramp Improvement
The on- and off-ramps at the Broadway Interchange with Interstate 84 will undergo pavement rehabilitation in a month-long project just under way.
Crews started Monday with erosion and sediment control, and will start milling the pavement Wednesday night (June 22). No ramp closures are anticipated.
The top layer of cracked and deteriorated pavement will be milled off, followed by the addition of a layer of new pavement for a smoother driving surface. This also will extend the life of the pavement in that location.
To accommodate traffic flow, most of the construction work will be done overnight between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the contractor on this $332,000 project.
MERIDIAN – Interchange pothole repair
Work on the bridge deck of the Meridian Interchange will require alternating lane closures during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (June 28-30).
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, crews will repair numerous potholes created by weather and aging pavement. Work is scheduled to not interfere with the morning and evening rush-hour traffic at this very busy interchange.
The speed limit will be reduced and at least one lane will be maintained in each direction of travel during the work.
State maintenance crews from ITD's Southwest Idaho Boise Maintenance Office and the Bridge Crew will be performing this work.
BOISE COUNTY
Near Banks – Road & Bridge project
Work began April 11 on a bridge project on Idaho 55 near Banks. The work on the South Fork Payette River Bridge finished just prior to Memorial Day. Paving from Banks south will occur next week. A mix design for the asphalt needs to be approved.
Once paving operations begin, probably after the Fourth of July holiday, traffic will be reduced to one lane. Pilot cars and flaggers will direct traffic.
The pavement preservation project involves approximately 14 miles of roadway from just north of Horseshoe Bend at the Payette River Bridge north to about two miles north of the Idaho 55 and Banks-to-Lowman road intersection.
About 1.8 inches of new pavement will be applied in a thin-lift paving procedure.
The deck of the bridge received a silica fume treatment to prevent further corrosion and penetration by water and salts.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the contractor on this $2.6 million project.
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.
Traffic across the bridge is 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.
Crews have finished stabilization at the bridge foundation for this year. The water level rose sooner than normal, so crews will have to complete the foundation work during the next water draw-down period this fall, sometime after Labor Day. In the meantime, work will continue above water level.
Crews are working with management of the Lucky Peak Reservoir and will be setting up buoys once the water level reaches the anticipated peak flow. For now, the contractor and the county sheriff’s office are discouraging boaters from gathering underneath the bridge. Work remains in a one-lane configuration.
Rails are completed on the east side of the bridge.
Crews are placing concrete on pier 4, working on pier 2, and painting the structure starting from the north end.
RSCI, of Meridian, is the contractor on the $2.8 million project.
Robie Creek to Idaho City – Idaho 21 overlay
A thin asphalt layer is being added to a 17-mile stretch of Idaho 21 between Robie Creek and Idaho City. The work should finish in July.
From milepost 22-39, Idaho 21 will receive a thin-lift overlay of 1.8 inches of new pavement to extend the life of the pavement and restore the driving surface for a smoother ride.
One lane will be closed during the overlay work, with pilot cars and flaggers directing traffic. No lane closures are allowed at night. Crews will work Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The speed limit in that area will be reduced to 45 mph, and to 35 mph in the immediate work zone. Crews may work on the weekends, but do not plan to do so as a rule.
The contractor continues paving one lane at a time - about two and one half miles per day - using a pilot car and flaggers.
Weather permitting, crews are able to pave four days a week. Crews will continue paving, alternating the lane being paved each day to keep the length of an abrupt edge down the centerline to a minimum.
Paving is about halfway done, proceeding toward Idaho City.
Next week, the contractor hopes to finish up approaches, start replacing the guardrail and stripe the roadway.
Central Paving Co. Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on this $2.1 million project.
NEAR LOWMAN – Fish-passage project
A fish-passage project east of Lowman began June 16 and will continue through early December.??Initial traffic control was set up June 15.
The bridge is in a one-lane configuration using a traffic signal until December. The contractor has built a diversion for the bridge work and will pave it early next week. Once the diversion is paved, traffic will be shifted onto it and construction will begin on the bridge.
The project includes replacing the existing culvert near milepost 83 (Lowman is at milepost 72) with a short-span bridge, followed by stream rehabilitation.
The road will be reduced to one lane for the duration of the work, controlled at each end by a temporary traffic signal.
Crews anticipate working a Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule.
This project is being funded through the U.S. Forest Service.
Cannon Builders Inc., of Blackfoot, is the contractor on this $1.2 million project
CANYON COUNTY
CALDWELL – I-84 westbound slip ramp construction
Work has begun on construction of an I-84 westbound slip ramp in Caldwell. The project is expected to be completed in late July.
A restriction on wide loads will take effect in Caldwell for Interstate 84 traffic, and the westbound ramp from U.S. 20/26 (Chinden Boulevard) onto I-84 will be detoured through mid-July as crews work on constructing a slip ramp in that area.
The contractor is preparing the surface for the asphalt and concrete pavement paving. The contractor is working to get as much paving as possible completed so that concrete curing will take place during the week of July 4. Traffic control remains the same, with westbound traffic reduced to one lane.
The slip ramp - a lane that starts and ends between an on-ramp and an off-ramp - will run between the 10th Street Interchange and Franklin Road Interchange. The mile-long slip ramp will allow motorists to enter I-84 at Franklin, remain in the lane farthest right, and exit at 10th - never having to merge with interstate traffic.
A similar auxiliary lane is expected to run eastbound on I-84 between Franklin and Garrity boulevards when that project is completed in 2012.
Westbound travel between Nampa and Caldwell on I-84 had increased from about 14,000 in 1995 to more than 20,000 vehicles per day by 2009.
Concrete Placing Co., of Boise, is the contractor on the $1.16 million project.
NAMPA – City traffic signal synchronization
A project has been under way since January to link traffic signals, creating a more efficient traffic flow in and around downtown Nampa.
The project will allow traffic signals to be synchronized through fiber optics and 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 contractor has completed all contract work, with the exception of the signal poles at 12th and 2nd. The poles are expected to arrive, and work resume, in early July.
In addition, crews finished work on the wireless communication equipment that will allow the city to control signal timing from their traffic service shop. This finishes up the entire project except for the change order work at 12th and 2nd.
??The contractor continues work on the signal at 12th and 2nd and has installed pedestrian poles. There will not be any work until approximately July 5, when the signal poles arrive.
The work is expected to finish in July.
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 in work hours.
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.
GEM COUNTY
SOUTH OF EMMETT – Idaho 16, Willow Creek Bridge replacement
The two-lane bridge north of Firebird Raceway on Idaho 16 is being replaced with a wider, three-lane structure. The project started June 20 and is expected to finish in late November.
The bridge replacement, about eight miles south of Emmett at milepost 6.3, will result in a significantly wider bridge - 54 feet wide compared to the current 36-foot width. It also will be slightly longer - 108 feet instead of the current 90 feet. The new bridge will be a single-span structure.?? The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph during construction. Traffic will be shifted but one lane each way will be maintained. Work will begin on the east half of the bridge.
Crews will use traffic drums, temporary guardrail and striping, and normal traffic-control signing. A portable message sign will be installed to alert drivers to the upcoming project a week prior to the beginning of construction. Work on this contract will begin with construction of a temporary diversion for southbound traffic. Once this is done, crews will work on demolition of one half of the existing bridge.
In addition to replacing the bridge, built in 1959, the project will require approach work to accommodate the new width of the structure and construction of a temporary detour on the west side of the existing bridge to handle southbound Idaho 16 commuter traffic.
The center lane on the new bridge will transition to match up with the current center turn lane south of the bridge, at the intersection of Chapparal Lane. North of the bridge, the road will be tapered from three lanes to match the existing two-lane configuration.
The project will improve the poor condition of the bridge substructure.
Concrete Placing Co., of Boise, is the contractor on this $1.1 million project.
OWYHEE COUNTY
SW of MARSING – U.S. 95 resurfacing
Approximately 17 miles of rural, two-lane U.S. 95, from the Idaho/Oregon border northeast into Owyhee County, is being repaved.
Drivers can expect intermittent lane closures and pilot cars will guide motorists during the work. The speed limit in the work zone has been reduced to 45 mph, and work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with no work anticipated on the weekends unless necessary.
Crews finished work on the first seven miles of the project last Wednesday, using the CRABS (Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization) process. The remainder of the project will require an overlay with a SALSA (Stress Absorbing Straight Layer of Asphalt).
CRABS involves grinding the existing roadway down to the gravel base, then adding cement to the old asphalt. This process extends the life of the roadway. SALSA is a process which involves shooting a layer of straight asphalt on the pavement and then applying a thin coat of chips. The SALSA process also includes an overlay of plant mix, which is a blend of asphalt and crushed rocks.
The contractor started on the SALSA section last Thursday. The remaining work is expected to be finished in late July.
Traffic control remains the same, with a pilot car guiding traffic during working hours and both lines opened after working hours.
Idaho Sand & Gravel Co., of Nampa, is the contractor on this $4.9 million 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 under way. It is expected to take about two years to complete, finishing in summer 2012.
Crews are replacing 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.
Demolition, fill and roadwork activities are under way north and south of the river. The approach slab is being constructed on the south end of the bridge.
JC Constructors Inc., of Meridian, is the contractor for this $6.17 million project.