7/27/2007
Construction on U.S. 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley to start Monday (July 30)
RIGBY - Construction on U.S. 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley will begin on Monday (July 30), the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Crews will repave about 14 miles of highway between the junction of U.S. 26 and the East Ririe Highway (milepost 348) and a point about five miles east of the Clark Hill rest area on U.S. 26 (milepost 362).
Crews also will repave about one mile of highway between the junction of U.S. 26 and 130th Road East (milepost 2) and Ririe City (milepost 3).
During construction, motorists can expect 15- to 30-minute delays. Travel will be reduced to one lane, with flaggers directing eastbound and westbound traffic through the work zone. The speed limit in work areas will be reduced to 45 mph.
Twenty miles to the east of this project on U.S. 26, construction also is continuing on repaving the highway between Swan Valley and the Wyoming border. Motorists can expect additional delays along this route.
Access to businesses and residences in the construction zones will be maintained, and intersecting roads will remain open.
Work will take place on Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Construction on the "Ririe to Clark Hill" project is scheduled to be finished in mid-September, with seal coating planned in 2008.
ITD awarded H-K Contractors Inc. of Idaho Falls the $4.8 million contract on June 7.
H-K 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.
The process has been used successfully in Lewiston, but this will be the first time that ITD has used the process in eastern Idaho.
ITD will administer the project using federal funds. The resurfaced highway will offer a strengthened road base and a smoother ride for motorists.
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 moving violations in work zones are fined at double the rate of violations elsewhere. Motorists are asked to drive with care.
For information on other highway projects in Idaho, call 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov.