Southern Idaho Bridge Work Continues, Road Work Season Beginning
SHOSHONE – Warmer temperatures in southern Idaho mean more than trees budding and grass growing — they also signal the start of another busy year of construction and maintenance on area roadways. While several bridge projects are ongoing from 2015, new work will focus on bridge maintenance and pavement surfacing projects throughout the Magic Valley region.
Overall, 20 bridges will be under construction or seeing repairs, approximately 45 miles of roadway paving, and several safety updates or upgrades will be completed in the coming months.
Click here for a map of project locations.
Major bridge-replacement projects include ongoing work at the Interstate 84 Twin Bridges over the Snake River near Declo, the Big Wood River bridge on Idaho 75 near Ketchum, and a pair of small canal bridges on Idaho 46 south of Wendell. The Perrine Bridge repair project, started last fall, will also be completed later this spring.
Along U.S. 93 and U.S. 20 in Blaine and Lincoln counties, there will be 11 bridges receiving repairs and driving surface rehabilitation. Work on four bridges along Interstate 84 near Glenns Ferry and King Hill will also focus on a driving-surface treatment.
The largest paving projects will take place along I-84 in three locations – for about 12 miles near Bliss, seven miles in eastern Jerome County, and seven miles near the Utah border. Additionally, 11 miles of surface restoration will take place along U.S. 20 between Gooding and Shoshone and 10 miles of Idaho 75 will be resurfaced south of Timmerman Junction.
Overall, nearly $57 million of construction work is currently or will be under contract in southern Idaho in 2016.
“With our current budget, we’re able to keep up with our most pressing roadway-maintenance needs in the area with a focus on keeping our bridges in good shape,” District Engineering Manager Scot Stacey said.
Several projects have also been advanced from future years to take advantage of increased funding allocated by the 2015 Idaho Legislature. Eight projects have been advanced based on readiness and matching criteria for critical need to maintain or repair state highways and bridges.
Project-specific information will be provided as start dates and all traffic impacts are determined.
