5/11/2007
Southwest Idaho highway construction report for May 11 - May 18
BOISE - Following is an update on highway construction projects in southwest Idaho.
ADA COUNTY
Interstate 84 westbound Eagle off-ramp
Construction started March 29 on a project to improve and widen the I-84 westbound off-ramp at Eagle Road. Improvements include a new off-ramp lane that will lengthen the ramp 1,600 feet. The ramp will divide into dual left and dual right turn lanes for turning south and north onto Eagle Road. A traffic signal will be added to the right turn lanes. Once completed, the widened off-ramp will improve traffic flow at the intersection with Eagle Road, and reduce the amount of traffic that backs up while exiting I-84. Crews will work an aggressive schedule to minimize impacts to motorists, including some nighttime work. The westbound off-ramp will remain open to motorists, but the transportation department urges commuters to plan extra time while traveling in the project area or use an alternate route. The outside shoulder on westbound I-84 will be closed to exiting vehicles during some construction. During the final weeks of the project, the outside lane of westbound I-84 will be closed between the Cloverdale Overpass and the Eagle Road Interchange. The transportation department will notify the public before the lane closes. Updates also will be available through the department's 511 service (call 5-1-1, or visit 511.Idaho.gov). The project is scheduled to be finished in late 2007.
U.S. 20/26 (Chinden Boulevard), Cloverdale Road to Hewlett-Packard
A project to widen Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26) between Cloverdale Road and Hewlett-Packard started March 19. The center turn lane on Chinden has been eliminated and traffic restricted to one lane in each direction. Periodic nighttime lane restrictions can be expected between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Beginning Monday, May 14, the Hewlett-Packard main entrance will close temporarily for approximately one week. The closure will allow crews to excavate the existing road bed, rebuild the entrance and install temporary asphalt. Motorists can access HP from either the Five Mile Road or Cloverdale Road entrances. Night and weekend traffic must use the Cloverdale entrance. Signs will alert motorists of the restriction. The traffic signal at the HP main entrance is also being relocated. Signal work is performed at night, with flaggers directing motorists. No impacts to daytime traffic are expected. An additional one-day temporary closure for permanent paving will likely occur in mid-June. Also in mid-June, traffic will shift to using the newly constructed lanes on the south side of Chinden to allow crews to work on the roadway's north side. Throughout the project, one lane of traffic is maintained in each direction during daytime hours. Periodic nighttime lane closures can be expected between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained. Flaggers will guide motorists through the work zone. Joplin Road is closed from its western intersection with Chinden (near Cloverdale Road) to Ancell Lane. Motorists can access Joplin at its eastern intersection with Chinden (near Mountain View Drive). The Chinden project will add bicycle lanes to both sides of the roadway. Curb, gutter and sidewalk will be installed along the south side of the road. By the project's completion, pedestrian and bicycle facilities will extend from Eagle Road to the Joplin Road/Mountain View Drive intersection. In addition, a new half-mile-long frontage road will provide access to homes on the north side of Chinden between the west end of Joplin and HP. As a result, the Chinden/Joplin intersection will be reconfigured. To expedite the project, crews will work an aggressive schedule, including some night and weekend hours. Central Paving Inc. of Boise is the contractor on this $5.5 million project. Work is expected to be complete in late 2007.
Locust Grove Overpass
Work started in December 2006 on a new overpass that will connect Locust Grove Road and offer an extended route over Interstate 84 between Eagle Road and Meridian Road. Currently, Locust Grove Road south of Interstate 84 ends near the interstate. The north side of Locust Grove Road also ends near Interstate 84. The inside lane of the eastbound and westbound sections near the construction site closed March 22. The closure, for construction of the center overpass pier, will be in place into October. Eastbound traffic normally goes from two lanes to four lanes at the Meridian Interchange. With the closure, eastbound traffic will go from two lanes to three lanes at Meridian, then broaden to four lanes after the work zone at Locust Grove. Westbound traffic normally goes from four lanes to two lanes at the Meridian interchange. With the closure, westbound traffic will be reduced to three lanes prior to the work zone at Locust Grove, then to the usual two lanes at Meridian. There is temporary concrete guardrail around the lane closures to protect the work zone, and the speed limit is reduced from 65 miles per hour to 55 miles per hour. The new overpass, scheduled to be finished in the spring of 2008, will consist of two lanes in each direction, sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the overpass. Utility and irrigation work started in early December 2006, and continued through January, February and into March. Concrete Placing Co. of Boise is the contractor on the $5,845,000 project.
CANYON COUNTY
Interstate 84, Franklin Interchange, Caldwell
The Franklin Road Interchange is being rebuilt to improve access to Caldwell from I-84, improve traffic flow and ease congestion. Interstate 84 motorists have been detoured at night to on- and off-ramps at Exit 29 from the end of April into mid-May. The eastbound and westbound lanes closed Monday, April 30, between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. each day to allow construction crews to install bridge girders. Traffic is being diverted to the ramps, across Franklin Road, then back onto Interstate 84. Interstate 84 will be reduced to one lane in each direction for one hour before and one hour after the interstate closure each day. During daytime hours, I-84 may be temporarily reduced to one lane in each direction for construction work. Motorists are advised to expect delays at the Franklin Interchange to accommodate heavy traffic on Franklin Road. Priority will be given to moving interstate traffic through the intersections. Traffic will be directed by flaggers at the top of the interstate ramps. If there are winds above 25 miles per hour, construction will stop to ensure girders can be placed safely. The girder work impacting the eastbound lanes finished May 11. The detour for westbound motorists will continue Friday, May 11, Monday, May 14, Tuesday, May 15 and Wednesday, May 16. The interchange rebuilding project, which started in early December 2006, will enhance several aspects of the interchange. The current two-lane Franklin Overpass will be replaced with a six-lane bridge. The new overpass will have two through lanes in each direction and dual left turn lanes in each direction. The interchange ramps are being lengthened and widened to two lanes at their intersection with Franklin. Work on this part of the project started April 10. Eastbound on-ramp traffic from Franklin Road onto Interstate 84 is using a temporary ramp. Westbound off-ramp traffic from Interstate 84 onto Franklin Road also is using a temporary ramp, just west of the current ramp. Both temporary ramps will be a single lane. Those ramps, scheduled to be in place for several months, will allow construction crews to rebuild the closed ramps. Once finished, the new ramps will offer two lanes each. The eastbound off-ramp and westbound on-ramp will have traffic shifted to temporary ramps at a later time. The project also involves widening Franklin Road from two to five lanes between the overpass and Specht Avenue. The new road will have a curb, gutter, sidewalk, bicycle lanes and shoulder. Aviation Way will be widened at the intersection with Franklin Road. A new traffic signal also will be added. Lanes may be reduced temporarily on Franklin Road and Aviation Way during the widening. Both roads will remain open during construction. One or both lanes of I-84 may be closed between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. for safety while crews replace the overpass. Traffic will be detoured. A new bridge and three new lanes will be constructed before the old overpass is torn down and traffic will use the new three lanes while crews replace the old bridge. At the project's completion, all six new lanes will be opened. Traffic updates will be posted to the transportation department's 511 service (511.Idaho.gov, or dial 5-1-1). Concrete Placing Co. is the contractor for the $25 million project. Construction is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2008.
I-84B Blaine Street/Cleveland Boulevard Resurfacing
Crews will replace curb and gutter on Caldwell's Blaine Street and Cleveland Boulevard, from 10th Avenue to 22nd Avenue. Work is expected to begin Tuesday, May 15. During curb and gutter replacement, traffic will be periodically reduced to one lane. Work is scheduled on each roadway independently, though some construction activities may be performed simultaneously, creating traffic restrictions on both Blaine and Cleveland for a short time. Some street parking will be temporarily eliminated as the project progresses. Signs will alert motorists in advance of parking restrictions. The $1.8 million project also will improve drainage and eliminate dips at side street intersections. Curb and gutter work is expected to last approximately three months. Braun-Jensen Incorporated is the project contractor. Following completion of curb and gutter replacement, work will begin on a companion project on Blaine and Cleveland, from 10th Avenue South to just east of South Florida Avenue. The project will reconstruct the roadway and pave to the edge of the new curb and gutter. Central Paving Company Inc. is the contractor for the $2.8 million project. During the roadway rebuild, parking and lane restrictions also will be necessary. To expedite the project, crews will work an aggressive schedule, which may include some night and weekend work. Additional details will be forthcoming as this project nears. Access to residences and businesses will be maintained during both projects. Completion is scheduled for late 2007. Both projects will result in improved sidewalk access. Americans with Disabilities Act compliant pedestrian ramps will be installed at sidewalk street corners and ramps will be aligned to the center of crosswalks for easier access. Blaine Street and Cleveland Boulevard (Interstate 84 Business Route) are the two major east/west corridors that move traffic through a residential area to a commercial area farther east. These streets are also collectors for side streets and have a heavy traffic flow, particularly during rush hours.
Interstate 84, Notus Interchange to Sand Hollow Interchange repaving
Work started May 7 to rebuild a deteriorated section of Interstate 84 between the Sand Hollow and Notus interchanges. The $14 million project is anticipated to be finished this fall. It will repair rutting and deterioration, and extend the life of the roadway. Pavement in the project area was originally built with the interstate in the 1960s, and received minor maintenance in 1985 and 1997. In May, equipment will be moved into the project area where two crossovers will be built to shift interstate traffic and a portion of the detour area will be paved. The project's first phase begins in early June, and consists of closing the Exit 26 (Notus Interchange) westbound off-ramp and eastbound on-ramp for repaving. Ramp traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 30 during the ramp closures. During the second phase, scheduled to start in late June, all I-84 traffic will be shifted to the eastbound lanes and reduced from four to two lanes, while crews work on the westbound lanes. The westbound on- and off-ramp at Exit 25 (Idaho 44, Middleton Interchange), the westbound off-ramp at Exit 17 (Sand Hollow Interchange) and the westbound on-ramp at Exit 26 (Notus Interchange) will all be closed. Ramp traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 30. The eastbound section will then close to be repaved, and traffic shifted to the newly paved westbound section, which will be one lane in each direction. During the eastbound closure, the eastbound on-ramp at Exit 17 (Sand Hollow Interchange), the eastbound off-ramp and on-ramp at Exit 25 (Idaho 44, Middleton Interchange) and the eastbound off-ramp at Exit 26 (Notus Interchange) will be closed. Ramp traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 30. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour through the construction area.
VALLEY COUNTY
Idaho 55 Rainbow Bridge
Improvements to the historic Idaho 55 Rainbow Bridge north of Smiths Ferry resumed Monday, April 23. Traffic crossing the bridge will be restricted to one lane on weekdays from noon Mondays through noon Fridays. The lane closure also will be necessary - weather permitting - during the third weekend of May (May 19, 20). The weekend restriction was scheduled prior to Memorial Day weekend to minimize impacts to the traveling public, and will allow crews to accomplish necessary work. 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.
Southwest Idaho Pipe Replacements:
U.S. 30, Idaho 52, Idaho 72, Payette County
Pipes are being replaced and pipe liners installed on U.S. 30, Idaho 52 and Idaho 72. Final paving will be done when weather allows. Traffic will be restricted to single lanes controlled by temporary traffic signals. The pipe replacements, totaling $135,000, are scheduled to be finished in mid-May of this year.
ADA COUNTY
Interstate 84 westbound Eagle off-ramp
Construction started March 29 on a project to improve and widen the I-84 westbound off-ramp at Eagle Road. Improvements include a new off-ramp lane that will lengthen the ramp 1,600 feet. The ramp will divide into dual left and dual right turn lanes for turning south and north onto Eagle Road. A traffic signal will be added to the right turn lanes. Once completed, the widened off-ramp will improve traffic flow at the intersection with Eagle Road, and reduce the amount of traffic that backs up while exiting I-84. Crews will work an aggressive schedule to minimize impacts to motorists, including some nighttime work. The westbound off-ramp will remain open to motorists, but the transportation department urges commuters to plan extra time while traveling in the project area or use an alternate route. The outside shoulder on westbound I-84 will be closed to exiting vehicles during some construction. During the final weeks of the project, the outside lane of westbound I-84 will be closed between the Cloverdale Overpass and the Eagle Road Interchange. The transportation department will notify the public before the lane closes. Updates also will be available through the department's 511 service (call 5-1-1, or visit 511.Idaho.gov). The project is scheduled to be finished in late 2007.
U.S. 20/26 (Chinden Boulevard), Cloverdale Road to Hewlett-Packard
A project to widen Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26) between Cloverdale Road and Hewlett-Packard started March 19. The center turn lane on Chinden has been eliminated and traffic restricted to one lane in each direction. Periodic nighttime lane restrictions can be expected between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Beginning Monday, May 14, the Hewlett-Packard main entrance will close temporarily for approximately one week. The closure will allow crews to excavate the existing road bed, rebuild the entrance and install temporary asphalt. Motorists can access HP from either the Five Mile Road or Cloverdale Road entrances. Night and weekend traffic must use the Cloverdale entrance. Signs will alert motorists of the restriction. The traffic signal at the HP main entrance is also being relocated. Signal work is performed at night, with flaggers directing motorists. No impacts to daytime traffic are expected. An additional one-day temporary closure for permanent paving will likely occur in mid-June. Also in mid-June, traffic will shift to using the newly constructed lanes on the south side of Chinden to allow crews to work on the roadway's north side. Throughout the project, one lane of traffic is maintained in each direction during daytime hours. Periodic nighttime lane closures can be expected between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained. Flaggers will guide motorists through the work zone. Joplin Road is closed from its western intersection with Chinden (near Cloverdale Road) to Ancell Lane. Motorists can access Joplin at its eastern intersection with Chinden (near Mountain View Drive). The Chinden project will add bicycle lanes to both sides of the roadway. Curb, gutter and sidewalk will be installed along the south side of the road. By the project's completion, pedestrian and bicycle facilities will extend from Eagle Road to the Joplin Road/Mountain View Drive intersection. In addition, a new half-mile-long frontage road will provide access to homes on the north side of Chinden between the west end of Joplin and HP. As a result, the Chinden/Joplin intersection will be reconfigured. To expedite the project, crews will work an aggressive schedule, including some night and weekend hours. Central Paving Inc. of Boise is the contractor on this $5.5 million project. Work is expected to be complete in late 2007.
Locust Grove Overpass
Work started in December 2006 on a new overpass that will connect Locust Grove Road and offer an extended route over Interstate 84 between Eagle Road and Meridian Road. Currently, Locust Grove Road south of Interstate 84 ends near the interstate. The north side of Locust Grove Road also ends near Interstate 84. The inside lane of the eastbound and westbound sections near the construction site closed March 22. The closure, for construction of the center overpass pier, will be in place into October. Eastbound traffic normally goes from two lanes to four lanes at the Meridian Interchange. With the closure, eastbound traffic will go from two lanes to three lanes at Meridian, then broaden to four lanes after the work zone at Locust Grove. Westbound traffic normally goes from four lanes to two lanes at the Meridian interchange. With the closure, westbound traffic will be reduced to three lanes prior to the work zone at Locust Grove, then to the usual two lanes at Meridian. There is temporary concrete guardrail around the lane closures to protect the work zone, and the speed limit is reduced from 65 miles per hour to 55 miles per hour. The new overpass, scheduled to be finished in the spring of 2008, will consist of two lanes in each direction, sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the overpass. Utility and irrigation work started in early December 2006, and continued through January, February and into March. Concrete Placing Co. of Boise is the contractor on the $5,845,000 project.
CANYON COUNTY
Interstate 84, Franklin Interchange, Caldwell
The Franklin Road Interchange is being rebuilt to improve access to Caldwell from I-84, improve traffic flow and ease congestion. Interstate 84 motorists have been detoured at night to on- and off-ramps at Exit 29 from the end of April into mid-May. The eastbound and westbound lanes closed Monday, April 30, between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. each day to allow construction crews to install bridge girders. Traffic is being diverted to the ramps, across Franklin Road, then back onto Interstate 84. Interstate 84 will be reduced to one lane in each direction for one hour before and one hour after the interstate closure each day. During daytime hours, I-84 may be temporarily reduced to one lane in each direction for construction work. Motorists are advised to expect delays at the Franklin Interchange to accommodate heavy traffic on Franklin Road. Priority will be given to moving interstate traffic through the intersections. Traffic will be directed by flaggers at the top of the interstate ramps. If there are winds above 25 miles per hour, construction will stop to ensure girders can be placed safely. The girder work impacting the eastbound lanes finished May 11. The detour for westbound motorists will continue Friday, May 11, Monday, May 14, Tuesday, May 15 and Wednesday, May 16. The interchange rebuilding project, which started in early December 2006, will enhance several aspects of the interchange. The current two-lane Franklin Overpass will be replaced with a six-lane bridge. The new overpass will have two through lanes in each direction and dual left turn lanes in each direction. The interchange ramps are being lengthened and widened to two lanes at their intersection with Franklin. Work on this part of the project started April 10. Eastbound on-ramp traffic from Franklin Road onto Interstate 84 is using a temporary ramp. Westbound off-ramp traffic from Interstate 84 onto Franklin Road also is using a temporary ramp, just west of the current ramp. Both temporary ramps will be a single lane. Those ramps, scheduled to be in place for several months, will allow construction crews to rebuild the closed ramps. Once finished, the new ramps will offer two lanes each. The eastbound off-ramp and westbound on-ramp will have traffic shifted to temporary ramps at a later time. The project also involves widening Franklin Road from two to five lanes between the overpass and Specht Avenue. The new road will have a curb, gutter, sidewalk, bicycle lanes and shoulder. Aviation Way will be widened at the intersection with Franklin Road. A new traffic signal also will be added. Lanes may be reduced temporarily on Franklin Road and Aviation Way during the widening. Both roads will remain open during construction. One or both lanes of I-84 may be closed between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. for safety while crews replace the overpass. Traffic will be detoured. A new bridge and three new lanes will be constructed before the old overpass is torn down and traffic will use the new three lanes while crews replace the old bridge. At the project's completion, all six new lanes will be opened. Traffic updates will be posted to the transportation department's 511 service (511.Idaho.gov, or dial 5-1-1). Concrete Placing Co. is the contractor for the $25 million project. Construction is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2008.
I-84B Blaine Street/Cleveland Boulevard Resurfacing
Crews will replace curb and gutter on Caldwell's Blaine Street and Cleveland Boulevard, from 10th Avenue to 22nd Avenue. Work is expected to begin Tuesday, May 15. During curb and gutter replacement, traffic will be periodically reduced to one lane. Work is scheduled on each roadway independently, though some construction activities may be performed simultaneously, creating traffic restrictions on both Blaine and Cleveland for a short time. Some street parking will be temporarily eliminated as the project progresses. Signs will alert motorists in advance of parking restrictions. The $1.8 million project also will improve drainage and eliminate dips at side street intersections. Curb and gutter work is expected to last approximately three months. Braun-Jensen Incorporated is the project contractor. Following completion of curb and gutter replacement, work will begin on a companion project on Blaine and Cleveland, from 10th Avenue South to just east of South Florida Avenue. The project will reconstruct the roadway and pave to the edge of the new curb and gutter. Central Paving Company Inc. is the contractor for the $2.8 million project. During the roadway rebuild, parking and lane restrictions also will be necessary. To expedite the project, crews will work an aggressive schedule, which may include some night and weekend work. Additional details will be forthcoming as this project nears. Access to residences and businesses will be maintained during both projects. Completion is scheduled for late 2007. Both projects will result in improved sidewalk access. Americans with Disabilities Act compliant pedestrian ramps will be installed at sidewalk street corners and ramps will be aligned to the center of crosswalks for easier access. Blaine Street and Cleveland Boulevard (Interstate 84 Business Route) are the two major east/west corridors that move traffic through a residential area to a commercial area farther east. These streets are also collectors for side streets and have a heavy traffic flow, particularly during rush hours.
Interstate 84, Notus Interchange to Sand Hollow Interchange repaving
Work started May 7 to rebuild a deteriorated section of Interstate 84 between the Sand Hollow and Notus interchanges. The $14 million project is anticipated to be finished this fall. It will repair rutting and deterioration, and extend the life of the roadway. Pavement in the project area was originally built with the interstate in the 1960s, and received minor maintenance in 1985 and 1997. In May, equipment will be moved into the project area where two crossovers will be built to shift interstate traffic and a portion of the detour area will be paved. The project's first phase begins in early June, and consists of closing the Exit 26 (Notus Interchange) westbound off-ramp and eastbound on-ramp for repaving. Ramp traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 30 during the ramp closures. During the second phase, scheduled to start in late June, all I-84 traffic will be shifted to the eastbound lanes and reduced from four to two lanes, while crews work on the westbound lanes. The westbound on- and off-ramp at Exit 25 (Idaho 44, Middleton Interchange), the westbound off-ramp at Exit 17 (Sand Hollow Interchange) and the westbound on-ramp at Exit 26 (Notus Interchange) will all be closed. Ramp traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 30. The eastbound section will then close to be repaved, and traffic shifted to the newly paved westbound section, which will be one lane in each direction. During the eastbound closure, the eastbound on-ramp at Exit 17 (Sand Hollow Interchange), the eastbound off-ramp and on-ramp at Exit 25 (Idaho 44, Middleton Interchange) and the eastbound off-ramp at Exit 26 (Notus Interchange) will be closed. Ramp traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 30. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour through the construction area.
VALLEY COUNTY
Idaho 55 Rainbow Bridge
Improvements to the historic Idaho 55 Rainbow Bridge north of Smiths Ferry resumed Monday, April 23. Traffic crossing the bridge will be restricted to one lane on weekdays from noon Mondays through noon Fridays. The lane closure also will be necessary - weather permitting - during the third weekend of May (May 19, 20). The weekend restriction was scheduled prior to Memorial Day weekend to minimize impacts to the traveling public, and will allow crews to accomplish necessary work. 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.
Southwest Idaho Pipe Replacements:
U.S. 30, Idaho 52, Idaho 72, Payette County
Pipes are being replaced and pipe liners installed on U.S. 30, Idaho 52 and Idaho 72. Final paving will be done when weather allows. Traffic will be restricted to single lanes controlled by temporary traffic signals. The pipe replacements, totaling $135,000, are scheduled to be finished in mid-May of this year.