ITD From the Vault: 15 Years Ago
Waiting almost over following US-89's two-year absense

This story appeared in the 2003 Transporter:

Motorists in southeast Idaho will be reunited with an old friend Oct. 9 after an absence of nearly two years. For the first time since early 2002, they will be able to drive from Montpelier to Geneva on the most direct route possible over 6,923-foot Geneva Summit on US-89.

The route closed in May of 2002 to reconstruct and realign the highway. The task proved to be of monumental proportions, yet was completed nearly a year early, according to resident engineer Tim Swenson. He spent as much time poring over plans on the hood of his pickup truck - a mobile office - than he did at lTD's District 5 office.

Swenson's diligence and dedication were major factors in completing the project so quickly and smoothly, says District 5 Engineer Ed Bala.

A celebration, marking official opening of the project, (also known as East Narrows to Bishoff Canyon) is planned for 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. The public is invited to join individuals who had a part in the reconstruction project at the Geneva Summit, approximately 10 miles east of Montpelier.

The $15 million, seven-mile project was the largest of its kind in recent memory. It required relocating a portion of the highway to the opposite side of the mountain pass, painstaking care to preserve the aquatic qualities of Montpelier Creek, and reshaping the roadway, one large truck load at a time.

When the dust settled, M.A. DeAtley Construction of Clarkston, Wash., had shuffled approximately 2.9 million cubic yards of material, including a major cut near the Trout Pond, and the placement of 278,000 tons of crushed material.

M. A. DeAtley employees, many of whom made the Montpelier area a second home during the construction season, moved approximately 1,000 scraper loads of material per shift, approximately 15 cubic yards at a time.

Put into perspective, the displaced material would cover a seven-acre parcel to a height of about 250 feet, according to engineering estimates. The project was blessed with excellent weather, long construction seasons and minimal complications, allowing M.A. DeAtley to finish the project this fall instead of next summer. Crews worked two 12-hour shifts daily during the first season and two nine-hour shifts, Mondays through Fridays, the past season.

Shifts involved about 120 people, most of whom live in the Lewiston-Clarkston area, the first year and about half as many this year, said Mark DeAtley, company president. Work crews maintained a seven-day schedule: working for seven days and then surrendering to a replacement crew, alternating every seven days.

He said about 75% of the firm's rolling stock was committed to the project the first year:
• 15, 40-ton scrapers
• 8 Caterpillar rock trucks with a 40-ton capacity
• 2 Komatzu excavators with 5-yard buckets
• 2 smaller excavators
• 2 D-l0 Caterpillar bulldozers
• 1 D-9 dozer
• 4 D-8 dozers
• 1 D-6 dozer, and
• 1 D-4 dozer
This year's armada included 10 truck and belly-dump combinations and a five-yard CAT 980 loader.

DeAtley said the project was the largest his firm has ever tackled.

Although much of the work was done near the banks of Montpelier Creek, extraordinary precautions prevented any excavated material from entering the creek. Consultant firms helped monitor the environmental and archaeological parts of the project.

lTD also worked closely with a number of agencies and consultants to ensure minimal impact on the environment. Among the collaborators were: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Idaho Fish and Game Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Idaho Department of Lands.

Crews also were careful to document and avoid disturbing two cultural sites that were discovered during excavation. The project also constructed 21 acres of new wetland to compensate for the seven acres of wetland impacted by construction. It included the transplanting of willows and other riverbank vegetation.

Bala said the project could not have been completed without the cooperation of many local governments, especially the city of Montpelier and Bear Lake County, and without the patience of area residents and travelers who depend on the route to reach Geneva and western Wyoming.

Their patience is rewarded with a much safer, smoother route. It should be less affected by winter conditions because portions of the road were moved to the northern side of the canyon, where it receives more winter sunlight.

"A number of factors combined to make this project run very smoothly and finish ahead of schedule," Bala said. "Tim (Swenson) and the Residency Staff did an outstanding job managing the project, our contractor and subcontractors were extremely efficient, the public was very understanding, and we had ideal working conditions."

A three-mile extension of the project - East Narrows to Home Canyon - is the final part of the US-89 reconstruction process. lTD hopes to begin that phase of work in the near future.

Editor's 2018 Note: Crews rerouted and straightened the road, eliminating several severe "S" curves and relocating the road to receive more sunlight and melting. The old route (shown below) went through a heavily shaded part of Montpelier Canyon, where not enough sunlight broke through to melt off snow and ice. In addition to making the road safer, the work also improved mobility by turning a one-lane road into two lanes on each side. Straighterning the curves also reduced travel time for the traffic, much of it commercial, heading to Yellowstone National Park or Jackson Hole, said ITD Montpelier Maintenance Foreman DeLoy Romrell. The project was a win all around, Ramrell said, improving safety, mobility and economic opportunity.


Published 10-19-18