7/9/2013
Paving project begins on City of Rocks Byway next week
MALTA – Travelers to the City of Rocks and the towns of Elba and Almo will encounter delays for several days beginning late this week, as a paving project will impact the 17-mile Idaho 77 Spur south of Conner Corner, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Traffic impacts will begin as the contractor completes a pavement test strip on Saturday (July 13) near Conner Corner. The full-width asphalt highway overlay is expected to begin July 16 and take about five days.
Crews will continue working throughout July and August to install additional highway signs, guardrail and survey monuments along the roadway. A chip seal coat will be added in late August to protect the new surface and provide better tire traction.
The highway will be reduced to one lane near the work zone. A pilot car and flaggers will guide traffic through the construction zone. The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph through the work zone and during the seal coat application.
The Idaho 77 Spur, also known as the Elba-Almo highway, is part of the City of Rocks Backcountry Byway that will be reconstructed in four phases over the last eight years. The route became a state highway in late 2011. The resurfacing project will smooth rough surfaces that have developed since construction and will extend the life of the highway.
Knife River Corp., of Boise, is the contractor for the $2.1 million project.