4/4/2014
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for April 4-11
The following projects in southwest Idaho are now underway:
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
is underway 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.
Overnight lane restrictions will continue on I-84 from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays. Restrictions will continue until 7 a.m. weekend mornings. The speed limit is 55 mph on I-84 and 25 mph on Broadway Avenue in the work zone.
Crews continue to install drainage and utilities and bring in material for the ramps. A utility crew will relocate a fiber-optic line behind the I-84 soundwall April 8 and 9. The operation will increase nighttime noise in the area.
Crews have driven shell pile, placed concrete for pier columns, and are building a retaining wall, jacking and boring pipe across the interstate, installing utilities, and grading area for the new eastbound on-ramp. They also tied rebar for pier cap, and completed temporary paving on the interstate so traffic may be moved toward the outside so crews can construct the median.
Concrete Placing Company, of Boise, is the contractor on the $26.7 million project.
I-84, Gowen Road Interchange
Construction
is underway at the Gowen interchange in east Boise. 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 lane restrictions will continue on I-84 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays. Restrictions will continue until 7 a.m. weekend mornings.
The speed limit is 55 mph on I-84 and 25 mph on Gowen Road in the work zone.
The
contractor is working on widening the mainline between the two railroad
structures. They have paved the widened shoulder on the outside for a
temporary traffic shift to the outside. Crews are working in the median
at night to widen the inside, and are also working on drainage features
in this area. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, pay attention and
obey signs.
Work is underway on the railroad structure just west of Gowen Road on I-84 to widen the eastbound bridge.
Knife River Corporation, of Boise, is the contractor on the $27 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.
With warmer weather, some activities have resumed. Work began in May 2012 and is expected to finish by this fall.
Traffic
crews near the extension of Idaho 16 continue to fill potholes along
U.S. 20/26 and sweep the roadway to promote safe conditions for
drivers. Intermittent traffic shifts will occur if needed for these
activities. Construction on the north side of U.S. 20/26 continues as
weather conditions allow.
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 Alder Creek Bridge or Silver Bridge over the south fork of the Payette River southwest of Garden Valley.
The
old bridge has been removed. Construction on the other half of the
bridge is underway. Work is expected to finish in mid- to late summer.
Traffic is now on the upstream side of the new bridge as the contractor
works on the downstream abutments.
Boise County is the local sponsor.
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.
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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. This project is likely to start in
June.
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. This project is likely to start in June.
I-84, Oregon State Line to Black Canyon Interchange (Exit 13), east- and westbound
Beginning
about June 15, 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 this fall,
with some preliminary construction starting in May. 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. Ralph L. Wadsworth
Construction and Lochner was selected by ITD as the design-build firm
for the upcoming $3.64 million project.
U.S. 95, Trail Creek Bridge to Pinehurst, Adams County
A
brief project on U.S. 95 in Adams County between the Trail Creek Bridge
and Pinehurst is slated to begin in June and finish a few months later.
This area of the highway is bordered on one side by the Little Salmon
River. The project will address retaining-wall instability and add
stream barbs to protect the roadway embankment at three locations in
this 4.7-mile stretch. Stream barbs are rock structures extending into a
stream to modify flow patterns. They are commonly used to minimize
erosion by steering the fastest current away from the eroding bank.
Crews will then replace the roadway pavement removed to fix the walls
and slope. The project also will include about 900 feet of guardrail
repair. Debco Construction, of Orofino, is the contractor on this
$762,000 project.