1/25/2016
Roadway breakup at Richfield Canal requires repair Tuesday
SHOSHONE – Traffic will be impacted for much of tomorrow in southern Blaine County as a short stretch of Idaho 75 is patched. Work will focus on an area of breakup that spans the full width of the roadway where it crosses the Richfield Canal.
Beginning Tuesday morning (Jan. 26), work to patch the damaged road surface will reduce traffic to one lane as ITD maintenance workers remove loose material, prepare and patch the roadway. The work is expected to last only one day. Drivers should watch for flaggers and equipment. Short delays can be expected.
The roadway surface over the Richfield Canal experienced significant breakup last week, following the most recent major storm. The bridge has been posted with warning signs and a 45 mph recommended speed since last week.
Generally, potholes and areas of major breakup develop as water seeps into roadway cracks, saturating base material below the roadway surface. Ice expands in the cracks and in the road's base material to loosen the road surface, and the road collapses once the ice melts. Over bridge surfaces, the water settles in the area between the concrete bridge deck and the asphalt overlay before freezing to lift and break the asphalt surface.
This fix on Idaho 75 is only temporary, however, as a paving project is scheduled to resurface nearly 10 miles of Idaho 75 from near the Richfield Canal to the Timmerman Junction (Idaho 75/U.S. 20 Junction). The project will include a new concrete surface overlay on the canal bridge. The bid opening for the project is Feb. 23, with work expected to take place during the summer.