9/4/2015
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Repairs on damaged Riverton Road Overpass slated to begin Sept. 22
BLACKFOOT - Repairs to the Riverton Road Overpass near Blackfoot, damaged when a track hoe loaded on a semi-truck trailer struck it two weeks ago, are slated to begin Sept. 22 and finish by mid-November. Riverton Road crosses Interstate 15 at that location.
Click here for a photo of the track hoe after the bridge strike Aug. 20.
Three concrete structural-support beams sustained extensive damage in the bridge strike, prompting closure for the safety of the motoring public.
Click here for a photo of the most severely damaged girder.
"An engineering firm was retained by the track-hoe owners to begin making repair drawings, and meanwhile our Bridge and Building crew cleaned hanging debris from the underside of the bridge and a containment system was used to capture any other falling debris and ensure that nothing impacted cars beneath the overpass traveling on the interstate," District 5 Maintenance Operations Manager Steve Gertonson said.
The company doing the repairs, Cannon Builders, of Blackfoot, submitted shop drawings of the proposed repairs yesterday (Thursday, Sept. 3). Girders must next be fabricated, bridge-deck concrete approved and the repair plan finalized before repairs can begin.
Current plans show the damaged girders removed beginning Sept. 22, the new girders set in early October, the concrete for the bridge deck poured shortly thereafter, curbing and bridge rail installed, and the overpass re-opened before Thanksgiving.