6/12/2014
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Summer detours for rock blasting will begin June 18 at Gowen interchange
BOISE – A summerlong series of interstate and local-road detours will begin next week while the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) blasts rock at the I-84 Gowen interchange construction site. The blasting will allow ITD to remove approximately 35,000 cubic yards of rock, making room for new ramps and roadway improvements.
ITD estimates blasting will require about 30 evenings of closures between June and August.
The first three blasts are scheduled Wednesday-Friday (June 18, 19 and 20). Detours will begin at 7 p.m. and are anticipated to be in place between two and four hours. Flaggers will direct traffic during the detours.
Click here for a map of the detours. Click here for a picture of the basalt rock at Gowen to be blasted.
• Gowen Road will close between I-84 and the railroad bridge (approximately 1,000 feet west of I-84).
• The intersection of Gowen and Eisenman roads will close. Eisenman Road will be open to local traffic.
• Eastbound I-84 ramps at the Gowen interchange will close.
The next detours are tentatively scheduled for the week of June 23. Exact dates for the detours will be announced in advance.
Message boards throughout the area will alert motorists of the coming work. For more information, visit the project website at www.itd.idaho.gov/Goweninterchange.
“We will set the schedule based on the specific area, weather and outcomes from the previous blast,” said ITD Project Coordinator Merrill Sharp. “Safety is our first concern. Each blast requires eight to 10 hours of preparation, plus additional hours afterward to haul rubble offsite.”
The work-zone speed limit is 25 mph on Gowen Road and 55 mph on I-84.
ITD is replacing the Gowen interchange with one that accommodates additional traffic on I-84 and Gowen Road. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2015. Additional blasting will be scheduled in spring 2015.
Knife River Corporation, of Boise, is the contractor for the $27 million Gowen interchange reconstruction.
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MEDIA ADVISORY/NOTE TO EDITORS: Media representatives will be invited to visit the blasting site one evening during the week of June 23. Reporters will be able to watch the blasting from a safe location and ITD staff will be available for interviews. Blasting areas will otherwise be closed. Details and RSVP information will be issued prior to June 23.