Some divers caught in long traffic backups on Idaho 55 recently might have thought the project to widen the road north of Smiths Ferry was done. And for the most part, it was — but a concrete failure meant new work.
The Idaho Transportation Department replaced portions of concrete barriers along a 200-foot section of road in the work zone, according to spokesperson John Tomlinson.
The project, which dramatically reshaped hillsides through a tight canyon along the Payette River, aimed to improve vehicle safety on the road. But the project saw significant delays and cost overruns, and was the site of numerous hill slides that shut down the road for long stretches of time. The project was more than a year behind schedule and cost roughly double the initial $30.8 million estimate.
Concrete issues
Tomlinson said the agency knew about the issue at the end of 2022. Lab testing showed the concrete didn’t meet specs, so the contractor was paid less as outlined in the contract.
But after the winter of 2022-2023, the barriers started to show issues.
“The decision to replace it came after the 22-23 winter season when there was some noticeable wearing on the top of the concrete. There was never any public safety risk,” Tomlinson said. “The concrete was still strong, so there were no immediate safety issues whatsoever.”
ITD is paying for the new replacement work because it paid less for the barriers as part of the price adjustment.
If you were stuck in the jam, as one BoiseDev reader was, and didn’t see any notice of the closure, Tomlinson said they didn’t put out any notice because this was a “maintenance project” and it was a short-term project.
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ITD has started initial planning and outreach work on the next phase of the roadway revamp – routing around and replacing the Rainbow Bridge.
