7/8/2011
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
UPDATE: Seal coat works heads to Cambridge Tuesday
BOISE – Seal coating is expected to begin Tuesday (July 12) on Idaho 71 in Cambridge as crews finish work this week on the Idaho 55 portion.
This 28-mile seal coat extends from the Snake River Bridge at Brownlee Dam in Hell’s Canyon to the U.S. 95 junction in Cambridge.
A 14-mile seal coat is also planned on Idaho 55, between Zachary Road in McCall and Boulder Creek Bridge in Donnelly in later July.
The seal coat will extend the life of the roadway and provide greater traction for motorists. ITD reminds drivers that wait times, usually no more than 15 minutes, may by necessity be extended to 25 minutes or more in the area when the seal coat is applied. It needs to set up properly before traffic is returned to the surface in order to last as long as possible. If drivers get impatient and drive on the new surface too soon, it can rut the surface and subtract years from the usefulness of the project.
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.
Crews will work a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekday schedule on these projects. Work is not anticipated on the weekends, but 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. Multiple broomings are performed on successive nights at each project site to remove excess loose rock chips from the driving surface.
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.