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Ceremony unwraps new Caldwell interchange

Building a modern freeway interchange is not what it used to be. Look at the Interstate 84 Franklin Interchange in Caldwell as an example.

ITD removed the ribbon and bow from the new $24.8 million structure Tuesday during a morning ceremony that featured patriotic music and dignitaries pouring the final section of concrete for an adjacent sidewalk.

Speakers for the event included Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Darrell Manning, Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas and Idaho Senate Transportation Chairman John McGee.

The new four-lane roadway, with dual left turn lanes, replaces a two-lane structure built more than 40 years ago (1966). Connecting Franklin Road also was widened from two to five lanes on both sides of the overpass and includes curbs, gutters, sidewalks, a bicycle lane and new shoulders.

A number of safety additions were incorporated into the project – new traffic signals at the Aviation Way/Franklin Road intersection, a 249-foot median barrier on Franklin Road and new truck approaches near the Flying J and Sage Travel plaza.

“Safety and public convenience were big priorities for us during construction,” said ITD project coordinator Kelley Lower. “We required the contractor to keep all four interchange ramps open throughout the project. With 17,700 vehicles going through here every day, that helped us keep traffic moving.”

The new interchange can efficiently move nearly 30,000 vehicles per day.

What does it take to complete such a structure during the course of three construction seasons? How about…

5,941 feet of concrete curb and gutter
3,157 square yards of concrete sidewalk
5,834 feet storm of sewer pipe
36 storm water inlets
16,209 cubic yards of concrete
21,082 tons of asphalt plant mix pavement
2,400,000 pounds of steel in girders and cross-frames on the bridge
345,417 pounds of reinforcing bar (rebar) for the concrete
$499,200 for new traffic signalization
$63,000 for temporary signalization during construction
$506,000 for roadway lighting
$220,000 for building two storm water retention ponds
More than $1 million for landscaping that includes:

1,539 rose bushes
14,360 daffodil bulbs
95 flowering crabapple trees
5 acres of seeded lawn and
$329,000 for the irrigation system

The project included 18 subcontractors in addition to the prime contractor, Concrete Placing Company, Inc.