A popular campground near New Meadows will remain closed this summer amid an $11.7 million slate of roadwork planned along Idaho 55.
The Idaho Transportation Department is planning a total of five projects along the highway from Eagle to New Meadows, with several lane closures and delays expected through this fall.
That includes the second year of a $4 million project to replace a bridge over Little Goose Creek between McCall and New Meadows in Adams County.
That work will not begin until late June due to environmental regulations, said Heather McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Idaho Transportation Department.
“The primary concern is not just the presence of fish, but the potential downstream effects during peak runoff season,” McDaniel said. “High spring flows from snowmelt significantly increase the volume and velocity of water in the creek, making it difficult to safely divert the flow during construction.”
Once work starts, one lane will be closed all summer, with temporary traffic signals directing motorists.
Last Chance Road, as well as Last Chance Campground in the Payette National Forest, will remain closed for the second year in a row due to the construction.
Work to replace the bridge, which was built in 1931, was expected to conclude last fall, but stretched into this year due to weather, road conditions, and unexpected contractor delays.
“Due to unforeseen challenges last season, only a portion of the culvert was installed,” McDaniel said. “The remaining work is scheduled for completion this summer.”
Valley County
Moving south, ITD plans to install an electronic sign along the highway south of Cascade. Minimal impacts to motorists are expected.
Once complete, the sign will notify southbound drivers of road conditions, accidents, construction, and other incidents before driving into the canyon. ITD expects to spend $631,000 on the project.
Meanwhile, crews kicked off a rehab project on the Rainbow Bridge north of Smiths Ferry earlier this month, as Valley Lookout reported.
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The $2.5 million project will reinforce the bridge for continued use until ITD builds a new bridge to replace it. ITD currently expects the replacement bridge to be built in 2029.
Single lane closures are expected Monday through Thursday, but motorists will not be affected on weekends or holidays after Memorial Day.
Boise County
A 15-mile stretch of highway between Horseshoe Bend and Banks is slated for a chip seal treatment that will begin in mid-June and continue through mid-August.
Motorists can expect lane closures from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 6 a.m. to noon on Friday. Flaggers and pilot cars will direct traffic. The project is expected to cost $2.7 million.
Finally, intermittent lane closures and reduced speed limits are expected on weekdays about four miles south of Banks as crews continue work to replace the Fleming Creek Bridge.
That work began last fall and is expected to be complete this spring. The $6.5 million project includes realigning the bridge to meet roadway geometry standards.
