5/9/2012
Idaho 75-Shoshone North project begins Monday
SHOSHONE – The long-awaited project to reconstruct Idaho 75 and three narrow bridge crossing north of Shoshone is finally slated to begin. Crews will begin moving equipment and resources to the construction site on Monday (May 14) to prepare for the initial phases of work, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
When completed, the realigned roadway will run parallel to the existing roadway on its east side. Work to build a new roadway between Shoshone and Mammoth Cave Road will begin with rock blasting in the southern portion of the project limits, clearing fences and fields to the north, and utility relocations throughout.
Construction of the three new bridges will also begin with excavation near the Milner/Gooding Canal this month. Bridge construction over the Big Wood River and North Gooding Canal will follow this fall and winter.
Paving of the new roadway is expected to begin in the spring of 2013 and be ready for traffic by next June.
The work is expected to have minimal impact on traffic during bridge and road-base construction, as the existing roadway will remain open. Through July, occasional delays of up to 30 minutes could occur for rock blasting. Additional delays will occur during the later stages of roadway construction and paving.
Idaho Sand and Gravel Inc., of Jerome, is the contractor for the $13.2 million reconstruction project.
When the roadway is complete and traffic transferred to the new alignment, the existing roadway will be demolished and bridges will be removed to prepare for future construction. According to the initial project schedule provided by the contractor, all work is expected to be completed by July 2013.
Additional construction to expand the roadway to four lanes will be planned once funding becomes available, but no time frame has yet been established for the work.