Bypass work shifts north

PONDERAY — Motorists near the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and Highway 200 can expect to encounter truck traffic and flaggers as work on the Sand Creek Byway shifts north, according to the Idaho Transportation Department and Parsons RCI.

Excavation of a stormwater retention pond is under way, and brushing and grubbing is slated to start this week in the area, which will be home to the highway realignment project’s northwest interchange.

Crews will be installing culverts under Highway 200 east of the “Y” intersection, work which is anticipated to be done this week.

At the opposite end of the bypass project, construction has begun for a retaining wall for a southbound lane of travel connecting downtown with the Long Bridge. During bypass construction, this causeway on the west side of the bridge will be used to keep traffic moving.

Brushing and grubbing next to the BNSF Railway line has started and the installation of a drainage layer is planned to begin in the next two weeks, Parsons reports.

Material trucks will be accessing U.S. 95 from the former snow storage area at the north end of the bridge once the pouring of concrete for a pier supporting the bypass’ mainline bridge commences.

That work is slated to start in about a week. Pouring of concrete for the pier stem of a pier holding up the southbound off-ramp is complete.

Also done is pile driving for the temporary work trestle, although production pile driving is beginning for the mainline bridge. Production pile driving at the former Lakeside Inn site is ongoing.

Construction of the second phase of a three-phase test embankment at the former motel site is done and will be allowed to settle for about three weeks.

Sheet pile on the shoreline extension between the Bridge and Cedar street bridges has been removed and the initial stage of fill will be allowed to settle for approximately two weeks.

Bypass construction update meetings are held on Thursdays at 11 a.m. in the Transportation Information Office at 202 North Second Ave. Updates are also posted on ITD’s Web site (www.itd.idaho.gov/projects/D1).