Resurfacing work begins on I-84 near Mountain Home

A project to treat and preserve the highway surface on a 24-mile stretch of I-84 east of Mountain Home began Monday, June 1.

Eastbound traffic on I-84 between Exit 74 (Simco Road) and Exit 120 (Bannock Avenue in Glenns Ferry) will face reduced lanes and construction delays from now until July 31.

The interstate has been reduced to one lane and speed limits will be reduced to 45 p.m. A width 14-foot limit also is in effect and oversized loads must give advance notice (by calling Project Coordinator Gary McKinney at 208-334-8935) at least 24 hours before arriving at the construction zone.

A sealer will be applied to cracks in the concrete surface from milepost 90 to 114 to ward off continued deterioration. Prior to the sealer application, the cracks will be repaired and some individual concrete slabs replaced.

The outside lane (travel lane) on the westbound side will be closed from milepost 99 to 103 to remove and replace 17 concrete slabs. Crews will work from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and the work in that section is expected to take five to seven days.

Once that is complete, for the next five to seven days, the same operation will take place on the inside (passing) lane.

Also beginning June 1 one eastbound lane has been closed starting at milepost 90 and progressing east to repair cracks in the surface. Once crews reach milepost 114, they will switch over to the westbound side and work back to milepost 90.

Westbound work will be done from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastbound work will take place between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The lane closures for the slab replacement will remain in place for several days following the work to allow the concrete to cure (set up) and seal the joints. The lane restrictions for crack repair and sealer application will be removed at the end of each work day.

Around mid- to late June, as crack repairs and slab replacements have been completed, crews will close an eastbound lane to apply sealer to the entire 24-mile stretch, then move to the westbound side and work back toward milepost 90.

During lane closures, the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in the project area and allowable widths reduced to 14 feet.

American Civil Contractors from Benicia, Calif., is the contractor on this $2.4 million project.