9/16/2011
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Sept. 16-23
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
I-84 drivers now have four eastbound and four westbound lanes, double the pre-construction capacity. The two-year reconstruction project in this area has included installing new drainage, replacing the original two-lane pavement from 1968, and adding two new lanes in both directions.
The speed limit has returned to 65 mph for the first time since construction started in late 2009.
Overhead signs will be placed in October near the Vista Interchange, completing the project.
Concrete Placing Co. Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on the $35.9 million project.
MERIDIAN - Interstate 84, Ten Mile Interchange construction
The new I-84, Ten Mile Interchange opened to traffic in May 2011. The speed limit is 40 mph on Ten Mile Road and 65 mph on I-84.
Four lanes are now available westbound and eastbound between the Meridian and Garrity interchanges.
Sign changes near the Garrity Boulevard Interchange are planned in the coming weeks, requiring overnight lane restrictions.
Idaho Sand & Gravel, of Nampa, is the contractor on this $33.8 million project.
NAMPA - I-84 widening, Franklin to Garrity
Motorists are advised that the Interstate 84 eastbound on-ramp at Nampa's Franklin Boulevard will be closed by Monday morning's (Sept. 19) commute. The Idaho Transportation Department will close the ramp Sunday. The ramp will remain closed until early 2012, when the project to widen Interstate 84 between the Franklin and Garrity interchanges is complete. The project is ahead of schedule.
??Motorists are advised to find an alternate route for eastbound interstate access, such as the Northside or Garrity interchange – each is approximately one mile from the Franklin interchange. Drivers are urged to allow extra time as they adjust to the new route.
The closure comes amid motorist concerns at this temporary construction on-ramp. Some crashes and near-accidents prompted crews to take steps in the last several weeks to improve the safety at this location. However, the safety issues persisted despite these efforts. The need to ensure public safety outweighed the need to maintain freeway access and accommodate traffic flow at this location, which ultimately drove the decision to close the ramp.
The temporary on-ramp length and configuration is constrained by its proximity to the Phyllis Canal. However, the permanent on-ramp will have no such constraints - it will cross over on a new bridge spanning the Phyllis Canal and provide for a longer merging distance with I-84 traffic.
Crews are not permitted to begin construction on the bridge until after irrigation season concludes and the canal is dry.
Concrete Placing Company of Boise is the contractor on this $22.2 million project.
Following is an update on non-GARVEE state highway construction projects in southwest Idaho.
VARIOUS COUNTIES
Seal coats
Several seal coats on roadway surfaces throughout the southwest Idaho region are winding down. Seal coating extends the life of the roadway and provides greater traction for motorists.
Already this summer, crews have completed seal coats on Idaho 44 and Idaho 55 near Boise, Idaho 71 near Cambridge, Idaho 55 near McCall, and about 9.4 miles of Idaho 78 from the junction of Idaho 45 to Murphy. Crews also repaired various spots along Idaho 55 on Horseshoe Bend Hill.
In addition, pavement markings remain to be finished for seal coats on several sections of Idaho roads:
• U.S. 95 (approximately one mile through Parma);
• U.S. 20/26 (approximately 12 miles from through Notus toward Caldwell); and
• Idaho 45 (approximately 14.5 miles from the junction of Idaho 78 to Locust Lane in Nampa).
Snake River Construction, of Kimberly, was the contractor on these seal coats. The completed seal coats cost $2.42 million. The remaining work will cost $700,000.
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. Crews can only work Monday through Thursday 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 heat to help asphalt and rock bond more quickly to the roadway surface, providing a higher-quality finished product.
Following posted speed limits will reduce the risk of windshield damage caused by loose gravel.
ADA COUNTY
BOISE – Bridge-deck repairs
ITD maintenance crews will repair three bridge decks by filling potholes in the Broadway railroad bridge, Gowen railroad bridge and the inbound Connector bridge deck starting Tuesday (Sept. 20).
Crews will work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to minimize the impact on commuter traffic.
Crews will repair the right lane of the Broadway railroad structure first on Tuesday, then the left lane. The Gowen railroad structure will be next, followed by the right lane of the bridge over the westbound Interstate 84 lanes at the Flying Wye split.
Repairs could be completed within a week.
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. The project should be done in February 2012.
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.
Traffic was switched to the smaller east side of the bridge Aug. 31, which also narrowed the roadway to 11 feet. Working two shifts per day, crews are paving the bridge deck and painting the steel structure.
Work remains in a one-lane configuration.
Crews are removing the bridge deck on the west side and railing this week. About three weeks of painting remains.
RSCI, of Meridian, is the contractor on the $2.8 million project.
NEAR LOWMAN – Fish-passage project
A fish-passage project east of Lowman began June 15 and will continue through early December.
The bridge is in a one-lane configuration using a traffic signal until December. This week, the contractor formed and poured the curb on phase 1 of the bridge, and also began backfilling the bridge approaches. Next week, workers will install the bridge rail and possibly complete the bridge approaches with the intention of switching traffic onto the new bridge in the next week or two.
The project includes replacing the existing culvert near milepost 83 (Lowman is at milepost 72) with a short-span bridge, followed by stream rehabilitation.
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.
Idaho 21, Warm Spring Creek to Canyon Creek
A project continues to repair the bridge decks on the Warm Springs Creek Bridge and Canyon Creek Bridge on Idaho 21, about 20 miles northeast of Lowman, and do pavement preservation work on the six miles between the bridges.
Crews will apply a double seal coat to the roadway surface to address pavement deficiencies from milepost 91.5 to 97.5. The project also will improve subsurface drainage, steep slopes that have sloughed off and substandard guardrail. The work will include guardrail-end treatments, bridge-rail retrofit and bridge-deck rehabilitation.
This week, the contractor began the bridge-rail replacement on both of the Canyon Creek bridges.
Knife River, of Boise, is the contractor on the $1.25 million project.
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 is 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. The contractor is working on the bridge abutments for phase 1.
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.
Concrete was placed for the bridge deck on the east half of the bridge on Wednesday (Sept. 14). Crews anticipate switching traffic to the new side of the bridge toward the end of September.
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.
ELMORE COUNTY
EAST OF BOISE – I-84 repair
In the ongoing project to correct severe pavement deficiencies between Boise and Mountain Home. All traffic has been diverted to the westbound side of I-84, (traffic is in a single lane each way) and will remain that way until approximately the first of December. The posted speed for this configuration is 55 mph.
Eastbound traffic has a narrow shoulder with a width restriction of 16 feet. Westbound traffic has a wider shoulder that allows for wider loads to pass unencumbered.
Ramps have been constructed for traffic at the Mayfield Interchange (milepost 71) and the Simco Interchange (milepost 74), with a posted exit speed of 35 mph.
The overall project begins near milepost 70 (the Stage Stop and Mayfield Road Interchange) and extends east of the Simco Road Interchange to milepost 82.2. The project will finish in early December.
Crews have adopted an aggressive schedule, working Mondays through Saturdays.
Concrete Placing Co., of Boise, is the contractor on this $10.4 million project.
I-84 slab repair, near Glenns Ferry
Project work has resumed to repair deteriorating concrete slabs on the east- and westbound lanes of Interstate 84 near Glenns Ferry. It is expected to finish in mid-October.
This pavement maintenance project will extend from milepost 114 east from Hammett to Glenns Ferry, a distance of about seven miles.??Several badly damaged concrete slabs in that stretch will be removed and replaced. Repairs also will include resealing pavement joints, repairing pavement cracks and chips, and grinding portions from the existing pavement surface.
Crews will work Monday through Saturday. The speed limit is 65 mph from milepost 114 to 122 and 45 mph when lane closures are in operation.
Interstate Improvement Inc., of Faribault, Minn., is the contractor on this $2.6 million project.
OWYHEE COUNTY
Grasmere north – Idaho 51 resurfacing
About 21 miles of rural Idaho 51 from Grasmere north is being resurfaced in a project that began Aug. 15. The project will likely extend into mid-October.
The resurfacing will go from milepost 34 to 55 at Broken Wagon Flat Road. A cold in-place recycling technique will be used on part of the route, during which crews break up a layer of old pavement and add additional oil to restore flexibility. The highway surface is then shaped and compacted, and overlayed with a top layer of new pavement. This is primarily used on medium- or low-volume roads. A standard overlay will be used on the section from Grasmere north for the first 14 miles.
Crews worked on guardrail overnight this week, with traffic reduced to a single lane and little or no delays. They are largely finished with highway paving, but still have approach work to complete.
The speed limit is reduced to 45 mph in the work area.
Idaho Sand & Gravel Co., of Nampa, is the contractor on this $3.4 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.
Work to construct Alden Road began this week, and it is reduced to one lane during the work. A deck pour took place on Tuesday (Sept. 13) and another deck pour is scheduled for next week, which will complete the bridge deck pours.
JC Constructors Inc., of Meridian, is the contractor for this $6.17 million project.
VALLEY COUNTY
Cascade North City Limits to Donnelly – resurfacing
A project to provide an overlay on about 15 miles of Idaho 55, from the north city limits of Cascade to Donnelly, began June 27.
The work is expected to finish in early October.
This thin-lift overlay pavement preservation project from milepost 116 to 131 will add about two inches of new pavement to the existing surface.
No work is currently taking place. The speed limit was brought back up to normal levels last week. There will be minor delays when the contractor begins work on approaches.
Crews will be on and off the project until the end of September due to other contract obligations.
A pilot car will be used in conjunction with flaggers at each end of the work area to hold traffic.
The speed limit will remain 45 mph until permanent pavement markings are complete.
The new asphalt added to the traveling surface will extend the life of the roadway and provide better traction for vehicles.
Work will be done from about 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with no weekend work and the crew off the roadway by noon on Fridays to accommodate heavy recreational and tourist traffic.
Valley Paving & Asphalt Inc., of Cottonwood, is the contractor on this $2 million project.