$3.5 million improvement project slated to begin this spring on Pancheri Bridge in Idaho Falls
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS – The city of Idaho Falls recently approved funding for an improvement project, which is set to begin later this year.
The Idaho Transportation Department provided a $3.5 million grant to make repairs to the Pancheri Bridge. City Engineer Kent Fugal tells EastIdahoNews.com the girders on the older section of the bridge on the north side are starting to deteriorate and need to be replaced.
Additionally, the city is planning to rebuild the deck and redo the asphalt overlay, which is worn down to the concrete in some areas.
As part of this project, they’ll also be replacing the bearings — the seats on top of the girders that strengthen the bridge’s structure — which are also deteriorating because of age.
“The contractor will need to jack up each end slightly to remove old material and put in new beam seats for those girders,” Fugal says.
This aspect of the project will cost an additional $500,000, which is coming from federal funds.
Fugal anticipates the contractor bidding process to be completed and approved in March with construction getting underway in late April. A preliminary estimate for completion is in late July. He’s hoping construction will move forward without a hitch, but there may be unforeseen delays.
The other part of the project can’t begin until the girder replacement is complete. Fugal estimates it will begin in late July or early August and be completed before the end of the year.
The original section of the bridge was built in 1971, according to city spokesman Eric Grossarth. Originally a two-lane bridge, it was widened to four lanes in 1999 from 35 feet to 86 feet. The total length of the bridge is 443 feet.
“At this point, we’re not anticipating a complete closure of the bridge, other than some short-term night work for something specific. We’re planning to keep it open, but it will be reduced to one lane of traffic each way,” Fugal says.
Specific details about the impact to traffic will be released as the construction date nears.
