7/1/2005
Resurfacing project expected to resume on U.S. 95 between Culdesac and Winchester
BOISE - A resurfacing project on 12 miles of U.S. 95 south of Lewiston is scheduled to resume Tuesday (July 5) after being delayed by a nationwide cement shortage, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Work on the Winchester grade segment of U.S. 95, between Culdesac and Winchester, was interrupted in mid-May because a subcontractor was unable to secure a cement source. The resurfacing project uses a method called CRABS (cement recycled asphalt base stabilization), which pulverizes the existing surface, adds cement as a hardening/stabilizing agent and reintroduces the mixture as the new roadway base.
Project subcontractor Porter-Yett of Portland, Ore., was unable to find a regular cement source until recently because of the nationwide cement shortage, according to a project engineer. The company experimented with a mixture that uses less cement than originally designed and hopes to begin using it in the roadway base beginning next week.
Motorists are advised to show down, obey posted speed limits and watch for flaggers directing traffic. Brief delays are likely during construction. Motorcyclists should use extra caution while riding through the construction zone because the highway surface is grooved.
If work continues as expected, the 12-mile resurfacing project should be finished by early August.