Idaho Transportation Department

Idaho 44, State & Glenwood Streets Pavement Rehabilitation Project

Project Facts

Key Numbers: 9342, 9343

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) repaired and restored a 3.75-mile section of Idaho 44 (State and Glenwood Streets) through Boise, Garden City and Eagle, extending the life of the roadway and resulting in a smoother ride.

The project repaired State Street from Idaho 55 east to Glenwood Street, and Glenwood from State to Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26).

Project Description

On the State Street section of the project, crews rehabilitated the pavement using the Cement Recycled Asphalt Base Stabilization (CRABS) process. Crews grinded the existing roadway surface down to the gravel base while adding cement and compacting it. The surface, which has been recycled into a new base, was then covered with a new layer of pavement.

On Glenwood, from its intersection with State Street to the Boise River, crews continued the CRABS process. From the river south to Chinden Boulevard, a milling process grinded the existing road surface, eliminated ruts and graded the road. A new layer of pavement will then be applied over the new road bed.

Project Background

These sections of State and Glenwood receive approximately 43,000 vehicle trips per day, and that number is expected to increase to 62,500 by the year 2030. The roadway is deteriorated, cracked and rutted. This project will significantly extend the life of the roadway and result in a smoother ride.

Construction Schedule and Information

Construction began May 4, 2009 and was completed on July 2, 2009.

To minimize inconvenience during peak traffic hours, crews worked an extremely aggressive schedule, which included overnight and weekend shifts. This “get-in, get-out” approach allowed crews to complete the project in less than half the time of working only during the day.

During peak commuter hours (5:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. weekdays), two lanes remained open in each direction. At all other times, at least one lane in each direction remained open. Access will remain open to businesses and residents in the construction area. Motorists can expect lane restrictions and minor delays. The speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 35 mph.

Central Paving Co. Inc. Boise is the contractor on this $4.4 million project.

Glenwood Safety Improvements Requested by Garden City

Garden City and the Garden City Police Department approached ITD with a request to incorporate safety improvements into the pavement rehabilitation project at specific locations along the Glenwood corridor. These locations have histories of high accident rates. With the ultimate goal to improve safety and maintain access to businesses, raised median curbs (also known as traffic separators) and a half “pork chop” median (a physical separation between entering and exiting traffic) will be constructed as requested.

In an effort to reach out to area businesses and commuters, the city held two public open houses regarding the safety improvements in 2007. ITD made another concerted effort to contact and visit with businesses in the area in 2008 about the project. Additional personal contacts to Glenwood and State Street businesses impacted by upcoming construction have been made in March 2009.

If you would like to talk to a project representative, but have not been personally contacted, please call June Sparks or Reed Hollinshead at the ITD Office of Communications, (208) 334-8005.

Glenwood Street Corridor Safety Improvements

Glenwood Street is a major north-south connection between State Street in Boise and Chinden Boulevard in Garden City. The State-Glenwood-Chinden corridor is also developing into a major commercial center, with motorists putting greater demand on access points to enter or exit business parking lots.

These factors have contributed to a significant increase in vehicle collisions in the area. According to the Garden City Police Department, approximately 48 percent of all collisions in Garden City occur in the vicinity of the Glenwood-State and Glenwood-Chinden intersections. Of these, approximately 42 percent result in injury.

To improve safety while maintaining sufficient business access, two types of safety improvements will be constructed. These will limit left-turn movements at sites with a high probability of collisions in the Glenwood corridor:
Raised curb lane dividers (also known as traffic separators) prevent cross-traffic left turns, and keep motorists from crossing into oncoming lanes of traffic by clearly identifying the division between opposing lanes of travel.

Garden City requested that ITD incorporate design elements to channel traffic and reduce collisions at specific locations on the State-Glenwood-Chinden corridor. Two areas where collisions most commonly occur:

GLENWOOD-STATE AREA:
Strawberry Glen Road & Glenwood Street
SAFETY IMPROVEMENT:
- Raised curb lane divider on Glenwood, from State St. to the Walgreens/Sonic Restaurant access point
- Left turns eliminated in and out of Strawberry Glen (near A&W/KFC), and out of the Walgreens/Sonic access point

GLENWOOD-CHINDEN AREA:
Dresden Place
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS:
- Raised curb lane dividers on Chinden, between Glenwood and Dresden (extending the existing divider)
- Half “pork chop” median at Dresden Place

The half “pork chop” will direct Dresden turn lane traffic as follows: Eastbound traffic on Chinden will enter RIGHT into Dresden. Westbound traffic on Chinden will enter LEFT into Dresden. Motorists exiting Dresden will be prohibited from turning LEFT or going STRAIGHT; the exit will be RIGHT-ONLY.

North of Chinden, between Starbucks Coffee and Carl’s Jr. Restaurant
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS:
- Raised curb lane dividers on Glenwood between Chinden and Lorimer Lane

Contacts

ITD Office of Communications
(208) 334-8881
Email: comments@itd.idaho.gov