8/9/2012
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for Aug. 10-17
BOISE - The following projects in southwest Idaho are now under way or will begin soon.
ADA COUNTY
BOISE - Idaho 16 Extension
Work is under way for the first phase of the extension of Idaho 16, which will be complete in August 2014.
Last month, the contractor started clearing vegetation and installing permanent irrigation features on the north side, and started construction of the site-access road on the south side. Once the access roads are completed, work will begin on the 1,700-foot bridge. This is anticipated to start later in August.
Crews will connect State Street to Chinden Boulevard, including a new bridge over the Boise River.
Concrete Placing Co. Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on this $19.4 million project.
ADA COUNTY
BOISE – Connector resurfacing
A preventative maintenance project began July 29 on the Connector (I-184) in Boise, heading westbound. Work is expected to be finished by mid-September.??For about five miles, from the Flying Wye to 13th Street, crews will re-seal joints and grind off the concrete surface to increase skid resistance.
Crews will adhere to a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. schedule, working overnight in order to minimize traffic interference.
Work will not be allowed on the nights of Boise State University home football games, and weekend work is not expected but is not prohibited if necessary.
A temporary closure of the ramps will be necessary for the contractor to properly grind and re-seal in those areas.
At least one lane will be maintained during the work, with the speed limit reduced to 45 mph in the construction zone.
The contractor continues overnight grinding, finishing the far right and middle lanes from 13th street (outbound) to the end of the project (Flying Wye).
Penhall Corporation, of Anaheim, Calif., is the contractor on this $919, 000 project.
ADA COUNTY
MERIDIAN - Eagle Road resurfacing and medians
Work started June 10 on this project, which will resurface Idaho 55 from Fairview Avenue in Meridian to State Street in Eagle, and install raised medians from Franklin to Oakhampton Drive, one-half mile north of Chinden Boulevard.
Crews will install raised medians between Franklin Road and River Valley Street, an area of 1.5 miles.
The work will take place overnight between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Access to businesses and residences will be kept open except for brief closures when crews are paving right at those approaches or driveways.
Phase 2: River Valley St. to Oakhampton Dr.
Crews continue to work on:
• Reconstructing pedestrian sidewalk ramps
• Cutting and excavating asphalt in the center of the roadway medians
• Placing concrete curb for the medians
Phase 2 construction will be complete by late September.
Idaho Sand & Gravel Co., of Nampa, is the contractor on this $4.7 million project.
ADA, ELMORE COUNTY
Repair of seven bridge decks in Ada and Elmore counties
The bridge decks on seven bridges from Boise through Mountain Home and to the east will be repaired and resurfaced.
The contractor has completing all work on the Canyon Creek overpass at milepost 92, 18th Street overpass at milepost 94, Hwy 95 Interchange at U.S. 20, the Oregon Trail Interchange at milepost 99, and Hammett Interchange at milepost 112.
There is no anticipated work on this project until Sunday night, August 12. The Mayfield Interchange bridge at milepost 71 on I-84 will be closed overnight to allow the bridge deck to be jacked up and shimmed. While jacking the superstructure, I-84 will be reduced to a single lane and traffic diverted around using the on- and off-ramps. Flaggers will be used to assure smooth traffic flow.
The superstructure will be shimmed up, (approximately three-quarters inch) for up to a week to allow repair work on the substructure.
Full use of the interchange will continue and travelers will not notice any affects except during the actual jacking operations.
Crews anticipate work completion around October 8, Columbus Day.
This structure will require some nighttime bridge closures for jacking the superstructure up to replace bearing pads and repairs to pier caps and girders, followed later with traffic reduced to a single lane and temporary signals to resurface the deck and replace joints.
ADA, ELMORE AND PAYETTE COUNTIES
Seal coats
Work is under way on a contract that will bring a series of seal coats to be applied to sections of several highways in southwest Idaho to extend the life of roadways and provide greater traction for motorists. This batch of projects is expected to finish in late September.
These sections are substantially completed:
• Idaho 69, Orchard Ave. in Kuna to I-84 ramps in Meridian
• U.S. 30, through New Plymouth from the junction of U.S. 30 and U.S. 95 on the west side of town (between New Plymouth and Fruitland) to the junction of U.S. 30 and Idaho 72 on the south end of town
Work on the Idaho 21 section below was expected to begin today (Friday, Aug. 10).
• Idaho 21, Gowen Interchange (Exit 54) to Lucky Peak Reservoir Bridge
Work is still to come on these sections:
• I-84, Broadway (Exit 54) to Eisenman interchanges (Exit 60) (approx. Aug. 17)?• U.S. 20, Mountain Home city limits to Boise National Forest boundary (approx. Aug. 20)
• I-84B, American Legion Blvd. between Canyon Creek and 18th Street (Exit 94) overpasses, Mountain Home (approx. Aug. 24)
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. Seal coats are typically applied on asphalt roads every 7–10 years.
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.
The speed limit will be reduced in the work zone, and motorists should expect delays of up to 15 minutes. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used as needed.
Sierra Nevada Construction Inc., of Sparks, Nev., is the contractor on this $2.82-million project.
ADAMS, IDAHO COUNTY
U.S. 95 resurfacing Smokey Boulder – Hazard Creek
A five-and-a half-mile (milepost 171-176.5) pavement rehabilitation project on a stretch of U.S. 95 that wanders through Adams and Idaho counties as it heads north is due to begin when the contractor finishes work on Idaho 55 near Banks.
Installation of pipe-liner and trench drains is complete. No other work is expected until mid-August.
One open lane will be maintained from Smokey Boulder Road to Hazard Creek during the two-month-long project. Flaggers and traffic cones will be used to guide motorists. Pilot cars will guide traffic during pavement pulverization and paving.
Valley Paving & Asphalt Inc., of Cottonwood, Idaho, is the contractor on this $1.8 million project.
BOISE COUNTY
BANKS – Resurfacing
Work on this project was suspended as the road closed due to rock fall.
A 10.4-mile resurfacing project on Idaho 55 north of Banks runs from milepost 80.6 to the Boise National Forest boundary (milepost 91), will involve overnight work (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.) for the paving.
Occasional daytime work will be needed for paving approaches and turnouts, applying rumble strips and pavement markings near the project's completion.
Pilot cars and flaggers will be used as needed. No work on the weekends is anticipated, except on Sunday nights.
The contractor started mainline paving on Sunday night. This work is expected to take approximately three weeks.
Valley Paving & Asphalt Inc., of Cottonwood, Idaho, is the contractor on this $2.15 million project.
BOISE COUNTY
Idaho 21 resurfacing to Lowman
A resurfacing project covering 20.4 miles of Idaho 21 in Boise County gets under way Monday (Aug. 6) and will finish in October 2013.
The project runs from Mores Creek Summit to Clear Creek Bridge near Lowman, adding a Stress-Absorbing Fiberglass Layer with Emulsified Asphalt (SAFLEA) on two adjoining sections of Idaho 21 (milepost 52.3 to 60 and 60 to 72.7), conducting slope stabilization, and upgrading guardrail at existing locations.
A SAFLEA treatment is a seal coat with a coating of chopped glass fibers between the oil and gravel aggregates to enhance durability and reduce cracking.
One lane of travel will remain open, with flaggers and pilot cars helping to guide traffic. Crews will work a 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule Monday-Thursday and will work half days on Fridays. No work is allowed on the weekends.
The contractor started work on running a camera through the culverts for information on their conditions and for installing trench drains. The trench drain work, expected to take two weeks, has reduced two lanes to one and flaggers are directing traffic.
Traffic has increased because of the situation with the fire and rock fall on Idaho 55 and the fire on old highway 17.
Knife River Corp, of Boise, is the contractor on this $3.9 million project.
CANYON, PAYETTE COUNTIES
I-84 bridge repairs
A project rehabilitating three bridge decks in the Caldwell area at Centennial Way, Exit 27 and the Boise River crossing, and the bridge deck at Exit 13 at Black Canyon, is under way.
Some ramps and lanes will be closed during the work. Crews will cone off the affected areas.
The I-84 Boise River bridges will have a reduced speed limit (55 mph) and width restriction (16 feet). One lane of traffic will be open east and west.
The two insides lanes of the bridge are closed for deck removal and replacement. The traffic shift will happen Monday (Aug. 13) at 8 p.m.
The eastbound I-84 off-ramp at Exit 27 in Caldwell is closed through late August.
Crews initially will use hydro-demolition (a high-pressure water stream) to remove the top few inches of damaged surface on the old bridge deck.
The Black Canyon overpass at I-84’s Exit 13 Black Canyon will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 15).
The truck stop can be accessed from the eastbound I-84 off-ramp only. The westbound off-ramp will only allow a right turn on Black Canyon Road.
This bridge closure will affect I-84 also by reducing the freeway to one lane with a 55- mph speed limit in the project area
The westbound on-ramp will close around Aug. 20 for about two months.
Concrete Placing Co. Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on this $1.42 million project, which is expected to finish by late October.
CANYON COUNTY
U.S. 95 Parma-Wilder resurfacing
Paving on a stretch of U.S. 95 from the south city limits of Wilder to the south city limits of Parma is complete, and resurfacing work is wrapping up from the north side of Parma to the junction with Interstate 84. This will finish in mid-August.
In two-lane sections, at least one lane will remain open at all times. In three- or four-lane segments, at least two lanes will remain open.
The speed limit in the active construction zone is reduced to 45 mph. The speed limit is raised to 55 mph each evening.
Idaho Sand & Gravel Co., of Nampa, is the contractor on this $5.7 million project.
GEM COUNTY
EMMETT - Idaho 16, SH 44 to Substation Road
A road, bridge and guardrail-repair project for a 12.5–mile stretch of Idaho 16 from just north of its junction with Idaho 44 to Emmett’s Substation Road is wrapping up.
Work is suspended, pending investigation by CenturyLink to ensure their fiber optic and phone cables are not in conflict with installation of new guardrail posts. Work is likely to resume on Monday (Aug. 13).
After Trac Utilities (CenturyLink) completes their investigation, the speed limit will be returned to 55 mph through the end of the project. The exception will be reducing the speed limit to 45 mph during work hours on days when crews are working, and returned to 55 mph after the lane closures are removed.
A small amount of change-order work will occur to modify the northwest approach at the Black Canyon Irrigation Canal access road, due to guardrail terminal upgrades.
Approximately a month after completion of the work, a second coat of paint will be applied to the pavement markings.
Central Paving Co. Inc., of Boise, is the contractor on this $2.5 million project.
OWYHEE COUNTY
NEAR GRASMERE – Idaho 51 resurfacing
Work is under way on a double seal coat, replacement of an old cattleguard and upgrading of guardrail ends on a 14-mile stretch of Idaho 51 through Owyhee County. Work is expected to finish in mid-September.
The work begins at Sheep Creek Road (milepost 19.9), which is about eight miles north of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation boundary, continues through Tindal Road and wraps up at milepost 33.7, which is a little more than a mile north of Grasmere.
Motorists can expect lane closures, with flaggers and a pilot car. One open lane will be maintained during the work. The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph in the project construction zone.
The main paving work should be completed today or tomorrow morning. Pilot cars are controlling traffic. After that’s completed, a fog coat will be applied and pavement markings then put down. The speed limits will soon be restored. Crews will apply a second round of pavement markings in about four weeks. That operation is a mobile operation.
Crews will work a Monday-Friday schedule, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Snake River Construction, of Twin Falls, is the prime contractor on this $1.6 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 finish in mid-September 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.
The bridge deck is complete. Roadwork north and south of the bridge in the southbound lanes continues. Paving is scheduled to begin Aug. 11.
JC Constructors Inc., of Meridian, is the contractor for this $6.17 million project.
VALLEY COUNTY
CASCADE – Bridge and Roadwork
A replacement of the North Fork Payette River Bridge in downtown Cascade is now under way, with two miles of pavement resurfacing on Idaho 55 in town to begin a few weeks later. The roadwork is expected to finish in late August, while the bridge work will extend into summer 2013.
ROADWORK: This week (Aug. 6-12) the contractor suspended operations for the Valley County Fair.
Next week, crews will return and continue work on the drainage upgrades, roadway shouldering and the final pedestrian ramp upgrade. They will also stripe the pavement and install new signs.
Traffic is being guided by flaggers. Work hours are from sunup to 11 p.m.
The existing roadway is in very poor condition, with cracking and potholing. The resurfacing will repair these deficiencies and extend the life of the highway section.
The project extends from milepost 114-116 (from south of the bridge to the north end). A CRABS (Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization) resurfacing method will be used on the section north and south. CRABS involves grinding the existing roadway down to the gravel base, then adding cement to the old asphalt. This process extends the life of the roadway. A complete reconstruction will be done on the section through the town's center.
Originally, the section of gravel road was paved over in 1937. It was reconstructed in 1955, followed by an overlay in 1975. Seal coats were placed in 1989 and 1993. Minor widening was done in 1996.
Pedestrian ramps also will be upgraded to meet ADA standards in this project. The city of Cascade also will replace some pipes in this project.
In town, the three through lanes will be reduced to one during the roadwork portion of this project. Flaggers will be used to guide traffic, and speed limits could be reduced in the work zone. While crews are rebuilding intersections, there will be detours on the local roads and side streets in place leading to an open intersection. The open intersection will change as the project progresses. Traffic control will be coordinated with emergency services.
No parking will be allowed on Idaho 55 within the active work zone, but alternate parking will be available on the side streets. Reasonable access to businesses will be maintained during business working hours.??No work is expected on nights or weekends, but is not prohibited if needed. From noon Friday to 7 a.m. Monday, one lane of traffic in each direction will be kept open.
C & A Paving, of Boise, is the contractor on this $1.86 million project.
BRIDGE WORK: The contractor will bring his equipment to the site starting Wednesday and is expected to begin the week of Aug. 20. This one-year project will begin that will eventually replace the old (built in 1933), narrow, width-restricted bridge with one more than twice as wide.
The existing bridge is 24 feet wide, and will be replaced with a 60-foot wide, 393-foot long, three-span bridge. The new bridge will have two 12-foot lanes, two 11-foot shoulders and a 14-foot median.
In addition, a paved extension will be constructed to the dirt shared-use path under the bridge on the north side of the river that provides access from both sides of the bridge to the new riverside park.
In the first stage, two-thirds of the new bridge will be built to the west of the existing structure. Traffic will be maintained on the existing bridge through this first stage of bridge work, and then will be routed to the new section of bridge for the remaining work as the old bridge is demolished. There will be traffic interruptions while the new roadway section leading to the new bridge is built.
Flaggers will be used if lane restrictions are required. From Monday through Thursday, work that limits drivers to one lane in each direction is only allowed between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Two lanes will be maintained between noon Friday and noon Monday. A river safety and navigation plan will be in place for recreationists that use this section of the river.
Wadsworth Brothers Construction Co. Inc., of Draper, Utah, is the contractor on this $4.83 million project.