The transportation department applied for and received federal discretionary funds for improvements to 16 miles of Interstate 15 from the Utah border to Malad. This project will extend the life of the interstate by installing metal dowel bars across adjacent joints. This improvement will distribute the weight of traffic across each joint more evenly and inhibit the joints from moving up and down, reducing damage to the roadway. The dowels will strengthen the road while continuing to allow the concrete slabs to expand and contract with changes in temperature. This is the first time this proactive dowel-bar retrofit project has been attempted in Idaho.
Work also includes diamond grinding the surface to provide a smooth ride and additional signage.
Federal Emergency Repair and state funds are being used to build a new flood control dike between I-15 and the Snake River west of Blackfoot. There are no anticipated traffic delays for this project. Construction of temporary crossover lanes began March 19 on Interstate 15 both north and south of the Snake River Bridge north of Blackfoot. The initial work will restrict both northbound and southbound traffic to a single lane. Damage from flooding in 1997 hastened the safety improvement project, which will replace the narrow southbound traffic bridge with a wider, safer structure.