8/17/2016
Traffic shift, ramp closures starting for I-84 paving work east of Bliss
BLISS – The eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 east from Bliss will be closed for the next month for a 12-mile resurfacing project. Included in the lane closure will be the temporary closure of the eastbound exit and entry ramps at the Tuttle interchange.
Beginning Monday (Aug. 22), I-84 will be shifted into two-lane, two-way traffic onto the westbound lanes with a speed limit reduction to 65 mph and a 14-foot width restriction for the duration of paving activities.
The work, between the west Bliss Interchange (Exit 137) and milepost 150, will include grinding and removing about two inches of asphalt, removing roadway cracking and rutting. The roadway will then be overlayed with two layers of asphalt plantmix. The resurfacing process is expected to improve roadway smoothness as well as increase the life expectancy of the roadway.
Paving of the exit and entry ramps at the Tuttle Interchange (Exit 147) and the east Bliss Interchange (Exit 141) will also be completed.
Paving of the eastbound lanes is expected to take about one month. When the eastbound lanes are complete, the process will be repeated in the westbound direction with a similar temporary closure of the westbound exit and entry ramps at the Tuttle Interchange.
During the temporary ramp closures, drivers will need to access the Tuttle area from the Bliss or Wendell-area interchanges and utilize local roadways.
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.