4/18/2014
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for April 18-25
The following projects in southwest Idaho are now underway:
ADA COUNTY
Meridian, Broadway and Gowen interchange reconstructions (GARVEE)
Three major Treasure Valley interchanges are being reconstructed, 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 fall 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.
Eastbound traffic on I-84 will be detoured across the Broadway interchange from 8:30 p.m. Tuesday (April 22) to 5 a.m. Wednesday (April 23) while crews place girders for the new interchange bridge. Drivers will exit eastbound I-84 at the Broadway interchange. Flaggers will direct interstate traffic across Broadway Avenue and back onto the eastbound I-84 on-ramp.
Crews have completed the south abutment of the bridge and the first retaining wall. Ongoing work includes building retaining walls to support the new roadway and installing drainage under I-84. Crews have also spliced fiber-optic utilities and graded two ramp quadrants for future ramp locations.
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.
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 contractor is working on widening I-84 between Broadway and Gowen. Crews are working on both sides of I-84 and the median. They also are working on drainage features and placing storm-sewer pipe, and are working on the widening of the eastbound railroad bridge over the freeway.
The speed limit is 55 mph on I-84 and 25 mph on Gowen Road in the work zone.
Knife River Corporation, of Boise, is the contractor on the $27 million project.
I-84, Meridian Road Interchange
Construction began this month on a project to replace the Meridian interchange. The project includes widening I-84 to four lanes in both directions under the interchange and rebuilding I-84 between Meridian Road and Five Mile. ITD will add a third travel lane in both directions on Meridian Road, as well as dual left-turn lanes for each I-84 ramp.
The contractor installed environmental-protection measures this week and began work on building the temporary eastbound on-ramp and moving the ITS and signal equipment to accommodate initial construction. Next week, work will continue on the temporary on-ramp and electrical work. There will be no lane restrictions for this work. Later next week, there will likely be lane restrictions on I-84 to accommodate the new ramp.
The eastbound “loop” on-ramp at the interchange will close at 10 p.m. Friday (April 25) while crews transition to the next phase of construction. A temporary “loop” on-ramp will open at 7 a.m. the next morning, Saturday (April 26). The temporary ramp will give crews more room to work under the bridge. During the overnight closure, drivers may still access eastbound I-84 using the on-ramp at northbound Meridian Road. Crews will direct traffic at the ramp intersection.
The contractor is building the west half of the new bridge. Activities include building the footings for the bridge pier, working on the abutments and adding temporary pavement on I-84.
Drivers can expect overnight lane restrictions (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) on I-84 under the interchange during the month of April. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph during nighttime lane restrictions. The speed limit on Meridian Road at the interchange is 35 mph. South of Overland Road, the speed limit is 45 mph. There will likely be a 10-mph reduction northbound near Overland later in the project.”
Concrete Placing Company, of Boise, is the contractor on the $50.8 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.
Work began in May 2012 and is expected to finish by this fall.
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.
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 will resume shortly.
Last week, the contractor cut 450 willows that will be planted next week. Crews intend to repair an incorrectly installed bridge joint this week.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
There are several other projects due to begin this spring or summer:
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 Sand & Gravel, of Nampa, is the contractor on this $1.8 million project.
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. Knife River Corp. Northwest, of Boise, is the contractor on this $1.6 million project.
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. Braun-Jensen Inc., of Payette, is the contractor on this $1.3 million project.
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. The project advanced to PS&E (Plans, Specifications and Estimates), the final fact-checking phase before the project is advertised to potential contractors.
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.
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 overlaid with about two inches of asphalt. The ramps at Exit 3 (Fruitland) and at Exit 9 (New Plymouth) also will be overlaid. A pre-construction meeting is slated for April 17. Western Construction, of Boise, is the contractor on this $9.6 million project.
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 early summer. 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. Granite Construction Co. is the contractor on this $4 million project.
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. Knife River Construction Northwest, of Boise, is the contractor on this $350,000 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.