11/22/2005
Eastern Idaho highway construction draws to close
RIGBY - Contractors are wrapping up work on the last highway projects of the 2005 construction season in eastern Idaho, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Work on the Snake River Bridge, which is part of the Sunnyside I-15 Interchange to I-15B project, will cease Nov. 30 to protect wintering bald eagle habitat. Idaho Construction is installing portable concrete railing to keep motorists from accessing the I-15 interchange, the river bridge and connector roads during the winter.
H-K Contractors will continue excavation and fill work west of the Yellowstone Highway as long as weather permits. Work on the entire project will resume in the spring and is scheduled to be complete by November 2006. The 55 mph speed limit will remain in effect between mileposts 114 and 119.
Western Construction will continue blasting along U.S. 20/26/93 through Craters of the Moon National Monument through Nov. 30, depending on weather. Motorists should be prepared for occasional 15-minute delays. Some blasting will remain to be done when the highway rehabilitation project resumes in the spring. Construction will continue through the summer of 2006.
The roadway between mileposts 224 and 226 will be reconstructed to improve sight distance. From milepost 226 to 233, the roadway will be rehabilitated. All work will be done within the existing right of way.
Zollinger Construction is shutting down operations on Idaho 33 at the Canyon Creek Bridge. Zollinger is the sub-contractor for realigning the highway to connect to the new bridge east of Newdale. Bridge construction was completed in November by Sletten Construction of Montana.
Cannon Builders expects to switch traffic early next week from temporary detours back onto Idaho 87 near Henrys Lake in northern Fremont County. Work then will focus on removing fill and restoring the streambed at Targhee and Howard creeks. The project to restore access for spawning Cutthroat trout is scheduled for completion by Nov. 30.
The last remaining project in the District 6 is work on the intersection of Idaho 33 and 12th West in Rexburg. Highway widening and the installation of curb and gutter are finished, but installation of the traffic signal has been delayed until additional parts are received. The project could be completed in about two weeks.