“The concrete is old and heavily deteriorated," Idaho Transportation Department Project Manager Joey Sprague said. "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."
At the start of construction the eastbound on- and off-ramps at the Silverton Interchange will close for several months. Once the work near Silverton is complete, the ramps will reopen and Exit 61 will be closed. 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.
