7/27/2016
I-84 paving project begins Aug. 1 between Bliss, Wendell
BLISS – A three-month-long resurfacing project on 12 miles of Interstate 84 will begin next week with ramp closures and lane restrictions between Bliss and Wendell. The project will remove roadway cracking and rutting while improving smoothness and increasing life expectancy of the highway.
Beginning Monday (Aug. 1), short-term ramp closures will restrict access at the Tuttle interchange (Exit 147) for minor roadway repairs. The westbound ramps will be closed Monday, followed by the eastbound ramps on Tuesday.
Lane closures near the East Bliss interchange (Exit 141) will begin by Aug. 3 for workers to construct median crossovers. Preparation of existing crossovers near the West Bliss interchange (Exit 137) and near milepost 149 will be completed prior to major construction activities, expected to begin by mid-August.
Roadway resurfacing work will include grinding and removing about two inches of asphalt, removing existing roadway cracking and rutting. The surface will be replaced by two layers of new asphalt plantmix.
Lane restrictions and short speed reductions will impact traffic during preliminary work. I-84 will be shifted into two-lane, two-way traffic with a speed limit reduction to 65 mph and a 14-foot width restriction for the duration of paving activities.
Knife River Corporation Northwest, of Boise, is the contractor for the $5.6 million project. According to the contractor’s schedule, the paving work is expected to be complete by the end of October.