Hitt Road bridge construction starts on Valentine’s Day

IDAHO FALLS — Construction is set to commence on a busy Hitt Road intersection at the 25th Street traffic light near Grocery Outlet and the Grand Teton Mall.

“The interior lanes of the road will be impacted. Traffic will experience a lane closure for the left turn lane across the structure approaching 25th Street from the south,” according to a news release from the City of Idaho Falls.

“We understand the pressures of having lane closures, especially with so much construction in the area,” Idaho Falls Public Works Director Chris Fredericksen said in the release. “Moving forward with this important road safety project is essential now as significant portions of work must be done before the canals fill for the summer months.”

The project is scheduled to start on Friday and continue through early spring, depending on weather conditions.

“It’s a bridge rehabilitation project to remove one girder that is structurally faulty and replace it with a new girder,” said Curtis Cannon, CEO and President of Cannon Builders, the general contractor for the project.

A girder is the concrete beam that holds up the bridge deck, Cannon explained. The bridge spans the Sand Creek Canal underneath the road and contains 25 total girders.

“Drivers will be able to access all businesses, however access to 25th westbound from the south will be interrupted during construction,” the release states. “Those desiring to access 25th Street on the west side of the intersection from the south should access the area from Channing Way.”

The project

First, pavement will be removed, followed by the bridge deck in the intersection around the beam, the release states.

The crews will then take out and reset the girder during non-peak traffic hours, Cannon said.

Finally, all “decking and pavement will be replaced prior to the reopening of the lanes,” the release shares.

Most of the project should be completed about the end of March, but the contractor will have to wait a few weeks for the asphalt plants to open before crews can resurface the road.

“We have to pave across it, and the paving plants do not open until the middle of April. So we’ll get it done partially, and then we’ll have to wait, and then we’ll have to come back and pave over it,” he explained.

Drivers are asked to “please reduce speeds, obey posted traffic control signage, and watch for construction crews in the work zone,” the city requests.

Unless commuters are visiting local businesses, “they really should try to avoid that area,” Cannon said.

Further details on the Hitt Road bridge and other construction projects in Idaho Falls are available at this interactive construction map.

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