Construction will begin Monday, May 1, to rebuild nearly eight miles of I-90 from the Big Creek Exit to the West Wallace Exit.
Next week crews will begin setting up the work zone, and by May 8, all traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and shifted on to the westbound lanes so the eastbound lanes can be reconstructed this season.
The project includes replacing concrete sections, most of which dates back to the 1970s when I-90 was first built.
“The concrete is old and heavily deteriorated. In the design phase, we compared the cost of repaving with concrete versus rebuilding with asphalt and decided that asphalt was the most economical choice for this section, both for the short-term costs and long-term maintenance,” Project Manager Joey Sprague said.
At the start of construction the eastbound on- and off-ramps at the Silverton Interchange will close for several months. Drivers trying to access eastbound I-90 will need to use either Exit 57 in Osburn or Exit 61 in Wallace.
Once the work near Silverton is complete, the ramps will reopen and Exit 61 will be closed, so drivers will need to detour to Exit 62. Message boards will be posted in advance of any changes in access.
Later this summer, work will also shift about five miles to repave a short section of I-90 near the east end of the Wallace Viaduct.
The project will last two years. Construction in 2024 will include all lanes from the Big Creek Exit to Osburn and the westbound lanes from Osburn to Wallace.
Other work zones are already in place near Fourth of July Pass and in Kellogg.
“We are waiting to reconstruct the section between Big Creek and Osburn until next year after the Kellogg bridges are complete to give drivers a break in work zones,” Sprague said.
Drivers are reminded to check 511.idaho.gov before traveling to plan for delays from construction.