4/20/2007
ITD plans 20 construction projects this summer in eastern Idaho
RIGBY - The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) plans a score of highway construction projects this summer in eastern Idaho.
Projects will be in Bonneville, Butte, Custer, Fremont, Lemhi, Madison and Teton counties.
The construction season got an earlier-than-normal start because of an early spring.
Projects by county include:
Bonneville
Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls. Crews are reconstructing a two-lane section of Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls to five lanes. Construction is proceeding east from the intersection of Sunnyside Road and Yellowstone Highway to Holmes Avenue. Work is scheduled for completion Dec. 4.
Sponsored by the city of Idaho Falls, the $10.2 million project is being administered by ITD using federal funds. When completed, Sunnyside Road will be five lanes from the Interstate 15 Sunnyside Interchange to Ammon.
This 1.6 mile widening project will facilitate east west travel within Idaho Falls and Ammon and improve access to the areas regional hospital and major shopping center located on Sunnyside. The project also will help alleviate congestion on 17th Street, which is a busy east-west thoroughfare north of Sunnyside.
Sunnyside Interchange. Crews will seal coat the new roadway that connects this newly built interchange on Interstate 15 to the intersection of Yellowstone and Sunnyside Road, completing a $21.4 million interchange-roadway-bridge project that started in July 2004. Seal coating should be complete by Sept. 1.
Seal coating, which is a process of spraying liquid asphalt on the road followed by a layer of crushed rock, protects the existing highway against water damage and adds traction to the road surface.
Seal coating is followed by striping crews painting the yellow and white edge stripes and applying other pavement markings.
Swan Valley to Wyoming State Line. Crews will repave 26 miles of highway on U.S. 26 from Swan Valley to the Wyoming state line using a type of construction known as cement recycled asphalt base stabilization (CRABS).
CRABS involves pulverizing the road surface and then adding cement to the old asphalt. The mixture is then compacted on the roadbed and used as the base for a layer of new asphalt plant mix (asphalt and crushed rocks).
This project also includes seal coating, which will take place next year.
Work will start in mid-June, with completion planned in mid-October.
H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls was awarded the $5.8 million contract.
Ririe to Clark Hill. Crews will overlay pavement on U.S. 26 from Ririe to Clark Hill, milepost 348 to 359. Construction will start in late July and be completed in October.
Crews will use a new construction process called stress absorbing layer of straight asphalt (SALSA). This process consists of shooting a layer of straight asphalt on the pavement, then a thin coat of chips. The SALSA method includes both the oil with rocks and an overlay of asphalt plant mix.
ITD will accept bids on the project until May 8 and will award the contract by mid-June.
Clark Hill Rest Area. Crews will renovate the rest area on U.S. 26 at Clark Hill (milepost 359). Construction will start April 23.
The project will include completely renovating the rest area building, reconfiguring site layout, enlarging parking areas, upgrading the water-supply system, installing a new water-treatment system, placing new sidewalks and improving lighting.
During construction, this rest area will be closed. Temporary rest facilities will not be provided.
ITD awarded Ovard Construction Inc. of Idaho Falls the $2 million project.
This rest area upgrade is scheduled for completion by Christmas, but the facility will reopen earlier if work is finished sooner than expected.
Shelley-New Sweden to Riviera. Crews will overlay the existing pavement with new asphalt plant mix on the Interstate 15 business loop in Bonneville County, from milepost 0 to 2.
Construction will start April 23 and be completed by late May.
ITD awarded H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls the $463,000 contract.
Butte
Tom Cat Hill, East. Crews will seal coat the roadway on U.S. 20-26-93 east of the Butte/Blaine county line, from milepost 224 to 233, completing this $8.4 million highway realignment and reconstruction project that began in October 2005.
The project was designed to improve 8.8 miles of highway through the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Estimated completion time is Sept. 1.
Big Lost River Rest Area Rehabilitation. On March 19 crews began a total reconstruction of the Big Lost River rest area on U.S. 20-26, about 16 miles east of Arco at milepost 265.
The project will include constructing a new rest area building, reconfiguring site layout, enlarging parking areas, upgrading the water-supply system, installing a new water-treatment system, placing new sidewalks and improving lighting.
Additional parking also will be added to handle more traffic, including larger tractor-trailers.
ITD awarded H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls the $1.7 million project.
This rest area project is scheduled for completion by the end of November, but the facility will reopen earlier if work is finished sooner than expected. Temporary rest facilities will not be provided.
Butte-Custer
Mackay South-Moore North. Crews will reconstruct 19 miles of highway on U.S. 93 between Moore and Mackay, from milepost 90 to 109.
CRABS construction will begin in mid-May and proceed through August, when the project is expected to be complete. A seal coat will be part of this project.
ITD awarded LeGrand Johnson Construction of Logan, Utah, the $5.4 million contract.
Custer
Salmon River Bridge West of Clayton. Crews will replace the Salmon River Bridge on Idaho 75 west of Clayton at milepost 220.
Construction will start April 23 and be completed by Christmas.
The highway will remain open during construction. The old bridge will be removed when the new one is finished. Plans call for the old bridge to be removed in 2008.
Fremont
Salem Road Bridge, Salem Road. Crews will replace the Salem Bridge and approaches to it on the Parker-Salem Highway. Construction will start April 30.
ITD awarded Cannon Builders of Blackfoot the $4.23 million project on April 12.
Sponsored by Fremont County, the project is being administered by ITD using federal funds.
The county will close the Parker-Salem Highway during construction, which is scheduled to be complete by mid-October.
Chester to Twin Groves Southbound. Crews will reconstruct pavement on U.S. 20 southbound between Chester and Twin Groves, from milepost 349 to 353.
Construction will start in late May, with completion estimated in early July.
ITD awarded H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls the $1.9 million contract.
U.S. 20 Junction to Montana State Line. Crews will overlay 9 miles of pavement on Idaho 87 from the U.S. 20 junction east of Henrys Lake to the Montana State Line (milepost 0 to 9).
Construction will start in early July and be completed in mid to late August.
ITD awarded H-K Contractors Inc. the $1.7 million contract.
Ashton to Dumpground Road. Crews will seal coat U.S. 20 above Ashton from milepost 361 to 366, completing this $1.5 million overlay project that started last summer.
Estimated completion time is Sept. 1.
Fremont-Teton
Ashton to Tetonia Railtrail Project. Crews will replace four minor bridges, install planking and handrail on three major bridges and pave 200 feet on each side of the bridges along a 29-mile bike/pedestrian trail, which was formerly the railway line between Ashton and Tetonia.
Work will start in mid to late summer and be completed in late fall.
Lemhi
Leadore East. Crews will overlay 4.3 miles of pavement on Idaho 29 northeast of Leadore, from milepost 0 to 4.33.
Construction will start in mid to late May and be completed by July.
H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls was awarded the $938,000 contract.
Madison
Canyon Creek Bridge. Crews will seal coat the roadway and place permanent road signs on Idaho 33 east of Newdale, from milepost 115 to 116, completing this $4.3 million highway realignment and bridge construction project that began in December 2004.
Construction will start in mid-June and be completed by July.
Henrys Fork Bridge to 12th West. Crews will overlay about 5 miles of highway on Idaho 33 between Rexburg and Henrys Fork Bridge, from milepost 73 to 78.
CRABS construction began April 16 and is proceeding from 12th West in Rexburg to the Henrys Fork Bridge.
ITD awarded H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls the $1.7 million contract.
Estimated completion time is late May.
Sugar City-Madison County Bike Path. Crews will pave a bike/pedestrian path that runs parallel to Idaho 33 between Rexburg and Sugar City.
Work will start in mid-June and be completed in mid-September.
South Rexburg Arterial. Crews will construct a new city street alignment from 1500 South on the South Yellowstone Highway to the east and north, connecting the highway to 2nd West in Rexburg.
The new two-lane road, which will eventually become a five-lane arterial, will connect with 2nd West at the intersection of 7th South.
Sponsored by the city of Rexburg, the project is being administered by ITD using federal funds.
Construction will start by midsummer and be completed by Thanksgiving.
Caution Advised
ITD urges motorists to drive with care near construction zones. "Orange highway signs with black letters or symbols and orange flags indicate construction activity, even if it cannot be immediately observed," said District 6 Engineer Tom Cole.
Drivers should anticipate unusual driving conditions, such as merging traffic, construction vehicles, flaggers, pilot cars and uneven surfaces.
The Idaho State Police reminds motorists that driving violations in work zones will be fined at double the rate of driving violations elsewhere.
Road Conditions
For current highway and weather conditions throughout the state, motorists can access the Idaho Traveler Services Web site at 511.idaho.gov or call 5-1-1 from phones within Idaho. Reports are updated daily or whenever conditions change on Idaho highways.
Eastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho comprises Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Custer, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison and Teton counties. These nine counties compose ITD's District 6, which is headquartered in Rigby.