Two closures are expected next week in relation to the construction on US-30 from N 400 West to Parke Avenue in Burley.
“This project has been underway since February, and we are expected to finish later this year,” said ITD Project Manager Kenny Lively. “We are transitioning four miles of the roadway from a two-lane to a four-lane highway which will enhance safety and increase mobility in the area.”
During the closures, crews will construct new approaches on the roadway. Utilities work will also occur during this time.
The first closure is scheduled for Monday through Tuesday (August 17-18). Access from 200 W to US-30 will be closed to traffic during this time.
The second closure is scheduled to take place Wednesday through Friday (August 19-21). Access from Washington Avenue to US-30 will be closed to traffic during this time.
Drivers should exercise caution and watch for signs which will be in place to safely direct motorists through the area.
Western Construction Inc. is the prime contractor for this project.
Work is expected next Tuesday (August 18) on the Interstate 84 eastbound 211 on-ramp near Heyburn. The Idaho Transportation Department will mill off the existing pavement and inlay the area with new asphalt to improve the overall condition of the roadway.
The eastbound 211 on-ramp will be closed while this work takes place. Motorists will be diverted to the nearby northern interstate access point. Message boards and traffic control will be in place to direct drivers.
Repairs are anticipated to take place between 8 am – 5:30 pm and be complete within a day.
The Idaho Transportation Department is updating its popular Traffic Tracker tool to provide traffic counts for the previous five years, expanding the available information and providing better context to those making use of the data.
The Traffic Tracker was launched in March, when the coronavirus pandemic hit Idaho. It was designed to track the acute, day-to-day changes in traffic patterns across the state. This information was helpful to businesses, healthcare providers, and emergency managers in understanding the impacts of lockdown. As time went by, trends emerged and the detailed data became unwieldy and unhelpful.
The update, launched Monday Aug. 3, draws from the same automatic traffic recorders as the original tool. Now, however, the data is averaged to monthly counts and plotted alongside the previous five years of data.
“We have been tracking this data for years now,” said Margaret Pridmore, ITD Roadway Data Manager. “This is information we’ve been gathering into reports for ITD executives and the Governor’s Office. With the innovation of the original traffic tracker interface, we’re now able to make this data readily available to the general public. It’s a great step in increasing transparency and providing helpful information to the people we serve.”
With a monthly comparison year over year, the information puts into context the broader impact of the pandemic on travel across Idaho. There has been a steady increase in traffic the last five years due to the exceptional growth of the state and a booming economy. Those numbers took a nose dive in March and April, quickly rebounding in May. Currently, average travel volumes are still slightly lower than previous years, but the trend is increasing – and there are some notable exceptions.
“We’re seeing record travel to remote areas of the state, such as the Central Mountains,” said Pridmore. “Boise County in particular is seeing more vehicles on Idaho Highways 55 and 21. It is a sign of people getting out of denser population centers during the pandemic.”
The monthly traffic reports are generally completed by the second week of a month. Compared to the previous day-to-day data of the original Traffic Tracker tool, these numbers will be quality checked before publishing.
Idaho Highway 8 will be resurfaced from Bovill east toward Elk River over the next two months, with work set to begin Tuesday, August 4. Resurfacing seven miles of the highway from its intersection with Idaho Highway 3 and Ruby Creek will provide a smoother ride for drivers.
Crews will work 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Saturday. During working hours only, the highway will be reduced to one lane.
A nearby project to fill in cracks and resurface 13.5 miles of ID-9 between Harvard and Deary is expected to wrap up in mid-August.
Visit 511.idaho.gov before traveling to see what impacts you may encounter on your route.
Dependent on the weather, controlled blasting will occur tomorrow afternoon (Friday, July 31) in the median of Interstate 84 between Twin Falls and Jerome. For safety, traffic will not be allowed through the area while this activity is underway.
Carefully controlled blasting is required to loosen the hard rock in the median.
This work was previously scheduled to begin in the evening, but has been moved to 2:00 pm in order to avoid potential adverse weather. Drivers may encounter delays up to 60 minutes.
ITD is asking motorists to consider using alternate routes while this work occurs. Electronic message boards and signage will be activated on the interstate in advance of the event. Motorists are advised to adhere to signs and pay attention to flaggers and Idaho State Police who will be assisting with slowing traffic on the interstate.
Starting the evening of Aug. 2, ITD maintenance crews will make repairs to the Interstate 84 bridge over 10th Ave in Caldwell to extend the life of the structure and provide a smoother driving surface.
Given the high volume of traffic on this section of I-84, work will only be done from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. when traffic is at its lowest. A single lane of I-84 will be closed each night. Speed limits will be reduced. Repairs will first be made on the eastbound lanes, then the westbound lanes. Crews plan to finish repairs on one lane each night.
The graphic above describes the anticipated closure areas and which nights repairs will be made on the specific lanes.
Several potholes have formed on the pavement before and after the bridge deck, which maintenance crews filled with temporary patches. For the upcoming repairs, crews will chisel out these patches and place a smoother overlay of an epoxy material the length of the damaged area.
“This is a pretty extensive repair,” said Joe Hunter, ITD maintenance operator in Caldwell managing the project. “The patches work, but it’s a rough surface right now. When we’re done, things will be much smoother and the bridge will remain in acceptable condition.”
In addition to the single lane closures, area residents and businesses can anticipate increased noise and vibration from equipment.
ITD recently completed a long-range environmental evaluation of I-84 from Franklin Rd. to Centennial Way for additional lanes. The current proposal includes adding to the existing bridge structure to accommodate an additional eastbound and westbound lane. There is currently no funding available to construct those improvements. For more information about the environmental project, visit ITDprojects.org/i-84-caldwell-to-karcher.
On Tuesday and Wednesday evening of this week (July 28 and 29) controlled blasting will occur in the median of Interstate 84 between Twin Falls and Jerome. For safety, traffic will not be allowed through the area while this activity is underway.
Carefully controlled blasting is required to loosen the hard rock in the median.
Work will not begin before 7:30 pm. Drivers may encounter delays up to 60 minutes.
ITD is asking motorists to consider using alternate routes while this work occurs. Electronic message boards and signage will be activated on the interstate in advance of the event. Motorists are advised to adhere to signs and pay attention to flaggers and pilot cars that will be utilized to slow traffic on the interstate.
Due to potential adverse weather, controlled blasting that was scheduled to occur this evening (Thursday, July 23) in the median of Interstate 84 between Twin Falls and Jerome has been delayed.
For safety, this activity cannot take place if there is a possibility of lightning in the area. The next expected days for controlled blasting are Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
Public comment to help guide ITD’s Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) program with its multi-year methodology is being sought through August 24. The DBE program works to provide a level playing field for minority-owned or under-represented businesses in the design and construction of federally funded transportation projects.
Due to Covid-19, two virtual meetings will be held online. The virtual meeting log in and call-in instructions can be found below. The DBE document for public review can also be found below.
Normally, bridges moving is not something an engineer wants to see, but this weekend construction crews slid the first of two new bridges at the Interstate 84 Blacks Creek Interchange sixty feet into place — where it will stay for decades to come.
The slide-in-place maneuver was designed to minimize impacts to the heavily traveled Interstate. Crews construct the bulk of the new bridge right next to the existing structure. When ready, the old bridge is demolished and the replacement structure is slid into place.
“The driving force behind choosing a lateral bridge slide method was our focus on the people we serve and their ability to get where they need to go.” said Patrick Kelly, the ITD project manager overseeing the work. “We were able to keep lanes open during the entire bridge construction process. Once it was ready, we closed the eastbound lanes, demolished the old structure, pushed the new bridge into place, and are wrapping up construction on the adjacent roadway. In the end, we will have closed interstate lanes of traffic for weeks rather than months.”
The whole process, from demolition to reopening traffic, will take two to three weeks. Normal bridge replacements can take several months. With the new bridge in place, crews have just a few final items to complete, including work at the bridge abutments and repaving approaches.
To get the bridge from temporary footings to its permanent home, crews lay down Teflon pads and cover them with dish soap. Then, heavy machinery pushes and pulls the structure into place. It’s a surprisingly effective way to reduce friction and easily move the massive structure.
“Seeing how smoothly the bridge slid into place was very satisfying.” said Kelly. “It has been months of planning, preparation, and a lot of hard work to get to this point. The crews from Knife River have done a wonderful job and should be very proud of the work they’ve done.”
This method has been used before in the Gem State when, in 2014, the Lardo Bridge on ID-55 in McCall was replaced. There, as it is at Blacks Creek, the highway is an essential connection and lengthy disruptions are very impactful.
The second bridge for the westbound lanes has been constructed next to the old structure. Crews are currently finishing up the eastbound side of the interchange, including work on ramps and Blacks Creek Road. They will be ready to slide the westbound bridge into place in early August using the same method.
