For the week of July 24 - 30, 2002

State plans road projects in Hailey, Ketchum, SV

Will spend $1m to repave main streets

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"There’s going to be some traffic backup, but it shouldn’t be too bad."

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Idaho Transportation Department officials have scheduled work on three major road projects in the Wood River Valley later this summer, two of which could slow traffic along busy commuter routes.

Jon Schierman, regional engineer for ITD, said the department has awarded Valley Paving of Bellevue a $1,050,000 contract to resurface sections of Highway 75 in downtown Hailey and Ketchum, plus the main stretch of Sun Valley Road from Ketchum to the U.S. Forest Service boundary east of the Sun Valley Lodge.

Schierman said that starting Thursday, Aug. 1, Valley Paving crews will start work to replace the pavement on the highway in Hailey—better known as Main Street—from the Hailey Post Office north to a point just south of the entrance to Albertson’s supermarket.

He noted that the work is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 16, but could be done earlier if the city allows construction crews to install a detour to route some traffic around the work zone.

"Hopefully, the city will work with us," he said. "That could speed up the project and it would only take about half the time."

In Ketchum, Schierman said work will start just after Labor Day, Sept. 2, to repave Main Street from River Street to a point near Fifth Avenue. The paving work should be done by Sept. 27, and the project should be completely finished by Oct. 3, he explained.

In October, Valley Paving will resurface Sun Valley Road from downtown Ketchum to the Forest Service boundary just past Trail Creek Cabin, Schierman said. He noted that a cement and recycled asphalt-based surface (CRABS) will be used on the entire section of road east of the Sun Valley Lodge.

Schierman said that most work will be done between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and acknowledged that the projects in downtown Hailey and Ketchum will require lane closures that will inevitably clog open commuter lanes.

He added that officials from Valley Paving have been advised to conduct meetings in Hailey and Ketchum "to keep the public abreast" of project details, including lane closures and detours.

"There’s going to be some traffic backup," he said. "But it shouldn’t be too bad."

 

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