4/28/2014
Paving work between Buhl, Filer to begin Wednesday
BUHL – Drivers will encounter two sections of road work on U.S. 30 east of Buhl beginning Wednesday
(April 30) before the remainder of a nine-mile paving project continues next week, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Paving will begin Wednesday on the east side of Buhl as the contractor completes an asphalt test strip, as required by the contract, followed on Thursday with repairs to a soft spot in the roadway that has settled and created a large bump near milepost 207. Both activities will result in delays for drivers, require flaggers to control traffic at each operation, and will leave a bump in the roadway until paving is complete.
With a passing test strip, the contractor will begin the full-width paving project on Monday, May 5 at Buhl and work east through Filer to the end of the project near the U.S. 93 junction. The project will apply an asphalt overlay to the roadway to improve smoothness and increase life expectancy.
During paving, the roadway will be reduced to one lane. During work hours – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday – drivers should watch for flaggers and a pilot car will be in operation. Traffic delays of 10 minutes may be experienced and a 14-foot width restriction will be in effect. Drivers are encouraged to use an alternate route.
Work also will continue with installation of a new pedestrian crossing near Filer Middle School. When complete, there will be a raised center median adjacent to the northbound Yakima Street sidewalk. The new crossing will have pedestrian-initiated, rapid-flashing beacons installed outside the roadway and on the median.
Western Construction Inc., of Boise, is the contractor for the $2.38 million project. The asphalt overlay is expected to be complete by mid-May, with a chip-seal coat to follow in late June or early July.