3/21/2014
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for March 21-28
The following projects in southwest Idaho are now underway:
BOISE - Rolling closures planned along I-84 Monday-Thursday of next week
Rock excavation in the median of Interstate 84 east of Boise near the Stage Stop will cause rolling traffic closures for the eastbound ramps at Broadway, Gowen, Eisenman, I-84 Rest Area, Blacks Creek and the East Boise Port of Entry. Westbound I-84 also will experience rolling closures and delays from east of Simco Road to the blast site.
The rolling closures will skip Friday and the weekend, and resume Monday through as late as Thursday of next week (March 24-27).
The closures will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. each day at the Broadway Avenue Interchange. The rolling closure will progress east from Broadway. After the waiting traffic passes Broadway, the eastbound ramp will be reopened and the rolling closure will continue east. There should be minimal traffic impact, with 20-minute delays and most areas clear and back up to freeway speed by about 1 p.m.
A pilot car will guide eastbound traffic while crews clear I-84. The eastbound on-ramps will reopen when the pilot car reaches each interchange.
The rock excavation will eliminate basalt rock outcroppings in the median and reduce the severity of crashes.
ADA COUNTY
Meridian, Broadway and Gowen interchange reconstructions (GARVEE)
Three major Treasure Valley interchanges will be reconstructed starting this spring, as the Meridian, Broadway and Gowen structures get a facelift after nearly five decades, thanks to GARVEE. Work is expected to be complete by late 2015.
The current Broadway interchange was built in 1969 when approximately 8,850 vehicles traveled on Interstate 84 near Broadway Avenue. Today, 74,000 vehicles travel over, under, and on and off the Broadway interchange each day. Gowen interchange, also built in 1969, went from 5,650 vehicles on the interstate to 47,000 daily. Those numbers are expected to reach 149,000 (Broadway) and 127,000 (Gowen) by 2035.
The Meridian interchange has seen the most explosive growth, from a daily intersection total of 10,650 in 1966 (it was built in 1965) to 133,000 today.
In addition to reconstructing the interchanges, work will include widening I-84 under the Meridian interchange and adding a third lane in each direction between the Broadway and Gowen interchanges. Gowen Road also will be widened between S. Eisenman Road and Federal Way. The railroad bridges between Broadway and Gowen will be replaced and widened to make room for additional lanes.
A Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) design, similar to the structures at Ten Mile and Vista, will be used in the reconstruction of the Meridian Road Interchange. The new Broadway interchange also will be a SPUI design. A conventional diamond interchange will replace the current interchange at Gowen Road.
Projects were selected based on readiness, pavement condition, congestion and safety. The work will be funded with savings from GARVEE, as well as regular federal funds.
GARVEE has resulted in significant safety improvements on Idaho's highways - crashes have been reduced by 38 percent, serious injuries by 51 percent and fatalities by 89 percent in corridors after GARVEE projects have been completed, despite nearly 46 million more miles driven.
I-84, Broadway Avenue Interchange
Construction began this week on the Broadway interchange in east Boise. ITD will add turn lanes on Broadway Avenue, replace the bridge and ramps, and add a third lane to I-84 between the Broadway and Gowen interchanges. The project is expected to be completed by late 2015.
One lane of I-84 may be closed at night (8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.) during March. Lane restrictions will continue until 7 a.m. on weekends. The speed limit is 55 mph on I-84 and 25 mph on Broadway Avenue in the work zone.
Crews have cleared two of the quadrants, placed temporary shoring for the new retaining wall for the Broadway structure, driven the first test pile at the first abutment, and removed guardrail and set concrete barrier. They are preparing to place forms for the pier columns and to jack and bore pipe under the interstate.
Concrete Placing Company, of Boise, is the contractor on the $26.7 million project.
I-84, Gowen Road Interchange
Construction at the Gowen interchange will begin the week of March 3. ITD will widen Gowen Road to five lanes, replace the bridge and ramps, improve turn lanes in the area, and add a third lane to I-84 between the Broadway and Gowen interchanges. The project is expected to be completed by late 2015.
Overnight (8 p.m. to 5 a.m.) lane restrictions will start Monday (March 3) on I-84 near the interchange, and will continue through the end of March. Lane restrictions will continue until 7 a.m. on weekends.
The speed limit is 55 mph on I-84 and 25 mph on Gowen Road in the work zone.
The contractor widened the outside of the interstate between the start of project and the railroad bridge near the Gowen interchange. They are also working on drainage pipe in the same area. I-84 traffic will be shifted toward the outside shoulder in the work zone this week. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, pay attention and obey signs.
Knife River Corporation, of Boise, is the contractor on the $27 million project.
ADA COUNTY
MERIDIAN – Ten Mile Creek bridge work (precursor to interchange rebuild)
ITD started to widen the bridge over Ten Mile Creek on Meridian Road and Interstate 84 just before Christmas. The work is necessary to prepare for additional lanes on Meridian Road and the westbound on-ramp to I-84 as a part of the new Meridian Interchange project. This project is expected to finish by the end of the month, and interchange reconstruction should begin in mid-April.
Most construction will occur during daylight hours; the I-84 westbound on-ramp at Meridian Road will be open at all times. Lanes on Meridian Road will remain open in each direction during the days. Over the next several months, lane restrictions might occur on Meridian Road overnight from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.?
Idaho Power has begun moving power lines and poles for utility work on Meridian Road. The city of Meridian will install a sewer line on the west side of Meridian Road from Overland Road north to Ten Mile Creek. Lanes on Meridian Road will remain open during the utility work.
The contractor finished backfilling the bridge extension west of Meridian this week. They are scheduled to finish rip rap placement on the east extension this week to complete work in the creek. Crews will continue backfilling the Meridian East structure and hope to finish that in the middle of next week. This project will finish on time, by March 30.
Granite Excavation, of Cascade, is the contractor on this $1 million project.
ADA COUNTY
BOISE - Idaho 16 Extension, river crossing and local road connections (GARVEE)
Construction continues on the 2.5-mile extension of Idaho 16 connecting Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26) to State Street (Idaho 44), including a 1,726-foot-long, 11-span, 10-pier, 88-foot-wide bridge over the Boise River and a new crossing of the Phyllis Canal. More than 1.5 million pounds of rebar and over 36.6 million pounds of concrete will be incorporated in the bridge.
Much of the project was shut down for the winter, but with warmer weather, some activities have resumed. Work began in May 2012 and is expected to finish by this fall.
Crews paved the median parapet on the bridge over the Boise River. They have to place about 2,500 feet of precast concrete guardrail next.
Crews are preparing to pave the median parapet on the new bridge.
Only a few items remain on the southern stage, which will likely resume sometime in April:
• Permanent signage and pavement markings;
• Median guardrail installation;
• Application of anti-graffiti coating on the abutments of the bridge over Joplin Road and the Eureka Canal; and
• Completion of the ITS (Intelligent Traffic System) interconnect between the State and Chinden traffic signals.
GARVEE (Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle) bonds allowed the Idaho Transportation Department to advance critical infrastructure improvements in vital corridors throughout the state.
Concrete Placing Co., of Boise, and Idaho Sand & Gravel, of Nampa, are the prime contractors on these projects. Knife River Construction, of Boise, and Nampa Paving are two of the main subcontractors for this work. The total construction cost is $38.94 million.
BOISE COUNTY
GARDEN VALLEY - South Fork Payette River Bridge
Crews are working to replace the old bridge over the south fork of the Payette River near Garden Valley.
The project is shut down for the winter. Construction on the other half of the bridge will begin in late spring, after crews remove the existing bridge. Work is expected to take most of summer 2014.
The old bridge, located southwest of town, also called the Alder Creek Bridge or Silver Bridge, has a sufficiency rating of less than 50. Boise County is the local sponsor. The new bridge will be relocated upstream and the existing bridge will serve as a detour during construction.
Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company Inc., of Draper, Utah, is the contractor on this $2.3 million project.
This is an LHTAC (Local Highway Technical Assistance Council) project. ITD has oversight responsibility for this work.
VALLEY COUNTY
CASCADE – Bridge Replacement
Replacement of the North Fork Payette River Bridge in downtown Cascade is suspended for the winter. Crews will return to plant willows in the spring, likely in mid-April.
The old, narrow, width-restricted bridge was replaced with one more than twice as wide. The earlier bridge was 24 feet wide, and was replaced with a 60-foot wide, 393-foot long, three-span bridge. The new bridge has two 12-foot lanes, two 11-foot shoulders and a 14-foot median.
In addition, a paved extension to the dirt shared-use path under the bridge on the north side of the river was built to provide access from both sides of the bridge to the new riverside park.
Wadsworth Brothers Construction Co. Inc., of Draper, Utah, is the contractor on this $4.83 million project.
CASCADE - Load limit posted Monday on Payette River Bridge in north Cascade
To protect the bridge and roadway until the bridge can be replaced in a few years, a load limit will be posted for the Payette River Bridge on the north end of Cascade starting Monday (March 24).
The bridge’s substructure is in need of improvement, and is suffering from deterioration and corrosion, according to the recent inspection. ITD conducted an above-water bridge inspection in May 2013 and an underwater inspection in September 2013. The bridge will be re-inspected, above and below water, this year.
The bridge was built in 1950.
This is about three miles north of the bridge currently being replaced in town.
The bridge, at approximately milepost 116, will feature a limit of 27 tons for a regular double axle, and 40 tons for a larger, unit-3 vehicle, with a limit per axle of nine tons.
Any compliance questions can be directed to ITD’s southwest Idaho maintenance office at (208) 334-8350.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
There are several other projects due to begin this spring or summer:
Idaho 52, Railroad Overpass Replacement, Payette
This project, likely to begin in late June or early July, will rehabilitate and resurface the railroad overpass on Idaho 52 in Payette. The bridge-deck surface is potholed, with worn bridge joints. Crews will rehabilitate the deck of the overpass, built in 1962, to create a better driving surface, remove lead paint and repaint the railing.
U.S. 95, Creek Bridge Replacement, Washington County
The project, likely to begin in July or August, will replace the old short-span Creek Bridge on U.S. 95 about seven miles north of Cambridge. The Creek Bridge, at milepost 120.6, is the oldest structure on the state highway system, built in 1918. The bridge is in poor condition. The existing bridge, which is 14 feet in length and 34 feet wide, will be replaced by a pipe culvert with a 72-inch diameter measuring 56 feet in length.
Idaho 21, Lucky Peak High Bridge to Robie Creek Road resurfacing
A 4.7-mile (milepost 17.3-22) piece of two-lane road from the High Bridge, at the turn to Spring Shores Marina, to the turn at Robie Creek Road, will be resurfaced in a CRABS project. The work also will include repairs to the existing drainage system, some roadway widening, and replacement of substandard guardrail.
Idaho 21, Idaho City to Mores Creek Summit resurfacing
This is a 13.3-mile pavement-rehabilitation project from Idaho City, at the ITD maintenance shed, to the Mores Creek Summit. Crews will conduct pavement repairs, fix frost heaves and improve drainage. They also will mill the surface, trench across and along the road at various locations, seal cracks in the pavement surface and apply a seal coat to the new surface.
I-84, Oregon State Line to Black Canyon Interchange (Exit 13), east- and westbound
Beginning in mid-June, crews will mill out about three inches of pavement in the right lanes and replace it with new asphalt. Both lanes and shoulders will then be overlayed with about two inches of asphalt. The ramps at Exit 3 (Fruitland) and at Exit 9 (New Plymouth) also will be overlayed.
Idaho 55, Eagle Rd., I-84 to Franklin southbound, Meridian
This project will widen Eagle Road to add a third southbound lane from Franklin Road to the I-84 westbound on-ramp, resulting in a lane dedicated to the ramp turn. The additional lane will be the standard 12 feet wide, and it also will include new curb and gutter, as well as connecting the missing sidewalk pieces. The traffic signal also will be replaced. This project is likely to start in July and finish about three months later, in early fall 2014. Two lanes will be maintained during construction. Crews are replacing the light at St. Luke’s to accommodate another left-turn lane going southbound onto Eagle Road from the hospital, but the light at the Franklin Road intersection will remain unchanged.
I-84, UPRR E. Lateral Canal Bridge & Northside Blvd. Underpass, Nampa
The aging Union Pacific Railroad E. Lateral Canal Bridge and the Northside Boulevard Overpass with Interstate 84 at Exit 35 will be improved in this six-month project beginning in late May or early June. The bridge decks on the westbound UPRR bridge and the eastbound Northside structure will be replaced, while decks on the eastbound UPRR bridge and westbound Northside will be repaired and sealed.
Idaho 55, Lardo Bridge replacement, Cascade
The 83-year-old Lardo Bridge on Idaho 55 near the McCall City Park on the southwest shore of Payette Lake is scheduled to be replaced starting this fall. When completed, the project will replace roadway approaches to the bridge and provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities on both sides of the bridge. The new bridge will be 200 feet long and 50 feet wide.