4/20/2007
Idaho 55 Rainbow Bridge restoration project to resume April 23
BOISE - Improvements to the historic Idaho 55 Rainbow Bridge north of Smiths Ferry are scheduled to resume on Monday (April 23), the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) announced. Work was expected to resume on April 30, but was rescheduled late this week to allow the contractor more time to complete crucial work before the Memorial Day weekend. ITD apologizes for the inconvenience.
Traffic crossing the bridge will be restricted to one lane on weekdays from noon Mondays through noon Fridays, as it was last summer.
The lane closure also will be necessary - weather permitting - during the second weekend of May and, if necessary, the third weekend of May (May 12, 13 and May 19, 20). The weekend restrictions were scheduled prior to Memorial Day weekend to minimize impacts to the traveling public, and will allow crews to accomplish crucial work to the bridge's side rails.
Flaggers and temporary traffic signals will guide motorists through the construction area. Combined tractor and trailer loads over 78 feet long or 12 feet wide should use U.S. 95 as an alternate route beginning April 30. The speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 25 mph.
Last year, work was done on the arch piers, floor beams, deck joints and columns. Construction crews will replace the bridge's rails this spring and summer.
The project was originally scheduled to be completed last year. During construction last summer, it was determined the deteriorated, historic structure would require additional work to ensure it is restored to its original integrity.
The project's main goals are to preserve the historical quality of the bridge and to ensure traffic safety during construction.
Exposure to the elements over the years has caused the bridge to deteriorate. The structure's rails were severely pockmarked and the deck was uneven.
The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its engineering design. Built in 1933, the open-spandrel concrete arches reach 410 feet across the North Fork of the Payette.
Mowat Construction Co. is restoring the bridge, which is scheduled for completion in September.